About the Author Ratno Jyoti
Raised in the foothills of Himalayas in Arunachal Pradesh, the author, a civil engineer by profession lives in Assam. The childhood memoirs spent in lovely ambience intertwined with fictional saga and true family saga is depicted in the storyline. The work though a fiction is a saga of modern India from last sixties through realizations, revelations and downright human attachments and affections cutting across region, religion, culture and establishes the attainment of values in sanatana setting brought down from timeless past.
Neel Preet: Your novel, “Unbound Love” has some autobiographical elements. How much of Gautam’s story is inspired by your own experiences?
Ratno Jyoti:
Certain sections actually, especially in the initial portion of the story.The growth of the family at the frontier were the story of my family mostly. Like my parents who suffered during the Chinese aggression of 1962 when my mother was shoved into a Dakota aircraft along with other females and my father set on a foot march along-with other govt employees to escape from advancing Chinese army!
Neel Preet: The novel is set in the beautiful landscapes of Arunachal Pradesh. How did your upbringing in the Himalayan foothills influence the setting and themes of your book?
Ratno Jyoti: Very much! Those who haven’t experienced the natural ambience of Arunachal can never understand the meaning of what I am saying let alone feel the effect! You need to experience the paradise on earth there!
Neel Preet: The story explores cultural differences between Gautam and Mary. What inspired you to highlight this aspect of their relationship?
Ratno Jyoti: Reality needs to be accepted. There are cultural differences, more so in the time being referred to , the seventies of last century when those were more pronounced .
Neel Preet: Gautam’s impulsive actions have life-altering consequences. How did you develop his character arc from innocence to regret and redemption?
Ratno Jyoti: That’s the Indian male psyche! Unless some monumental or life altering events happen he doesn’t acknowledge the sacrifices or selfless contributions of females in his life. He tends to take everything as routine till such events occur and shake the very foundation of his existence!
Neel Preet: You’re a Civil Engineer by profession. How do you balance your technical career with your passion for writing?
Ratno Jyoti: Profession and passion might be different and the call of heart and mind may be different.
Neel Preet: How did you approach writing the emotional complexities of Gautam and Mary’s love story? Was it challenging to depict their innocence and heartbreak?
Ratno Jyoti: Yes. very much so! The essential simplicity of tribal culture intertwined with the realities of time and society prevalent then shaped the final outcome.
Neel Preet: The novel delves into personal responsibility and the impact of choices. Do you believe fate plays a role in love, or is it purely shaped by our decisions?
Ratno Jyoti: Bounded love is essentially influenced by transactions. Unbound love which is often unconditional as well might get shaped by forces other than those seen or experienced!
Neel Preet: If you could sit down with Gautam and give him advice at any point in his journey, what would you tell him?
Ratno Jyoti: It’s easy to be wiser after any incident. When you are 19 or 20 you simply don’t know what to do or how to react. It was wonderfully mature for him to have discovered his redemption at quite an young age though!!
Neel Preet: What challenges did you face while writing this novel, and how did you overcome them?
Ratno Jyoti: Quite a lot! It was not easy to proceed with the timeline and the storyline. The realizations, revelations, soulful or surprising discoveries had to be documented. The descriptions of charterers were intriguing as well. Some came from imaginations, others from experience and some obviously from observations!
Neel Preet: Now that “Unbound Love” is out, what’s next for you as an author? Can the readers expect more such incredible works in the future?
Ratno Jyoti: Readers reign supreme in the world of writing. If this work was accepted favourably more works could emerge surely in future.
