My angioplasty made me realize I need to write a book

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India] : Title Waves Bookstore, Bandra, hosted an engaging book reading and discussion session for "Girl in Scarlet Hijab " by Dr.Suresh U.Kumar on Thursday. The author was in conversation with fellow authors  Dr. Swaroop Sampat Rawal and Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta. The session was  moderated by actor and founder of Paperbacktalks, Rahul Saini.

The trigger to writing a book is often a life altering moment. And so it was for author Suresh Kumar, a prominent Indian origin resident of New Jersey, visiting India to firm up plans for a Malayali language translation of the book. The Kerala born, US migrated business leader’s debut novel  “Girl in Scarlet Hijab", is set against the tumultuous backdrop of 1980s Kerala.

The author says, “The specific thought that had come to my mind as I was waiting all alone in the pre-surgery room was, 'I have not told the stories of my land and my people to my son, then just 12. What if something goes wrong and I do not come out alive? How would he learn about his people and their courage, love and sacrifice?' That was when I made a promise to myself that if all goes well- I will write those stories first. This was the motivation for writing “Girl in Scarlet Hijab".

Book- Girl in Scarlet Hijab by Dr. Suresh U Kumar

It took Suresh three years to weave a gripping narrative of revolution, identity and sacrifice. The protagonist in the novel is Rukhsana Mirza, a young woman whose scarlet hijab becomes an iconic symbol of defiance as she joins forces with other student activists Murali and Shibu in their fight against political corruption. Drawing from real historical events, including the legacy of freedom fighters and the forgotten heroes of India's independence movement, Kumar's work interrogates accepted history while exploring the fragile nature of revolution in contemporary India. At the launch, Suresh explained, “The historical setting includes Mahatma Gandhi’s visit to Kerala in 1925, the 1942 jail break of Jayaprakash Narayan, and the 1946 mutiny of the Royal Indian Navy,” he explained. "By bookmarking these incidents, I have created a Rang de Basanti style narrative of youth awakening."

Educator Dr.Swaroop Sampat Rawal and Asia’s first reading coach Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta gave their insights on the value of reading, particularly fiction and discussed what makes a story interesting enough to be made into a film.  A loyal audience of book lovers was in attendance, asking keen questions and making a beeline for signed copies.