We had the chance to have a talk with “The White Maze” author Arunima G. Sharing a few excerpts of the interview:
1. Akhila Saroha: I would like to begin by congratulating you on the publication of “The White Maze.” What were the events that led to the idea of writing it?
Arunima G: Hello Akhila. Let me return the ‘Congratulations’ to you with a heart felt thank you, for reading my book and writing such a beautiful review about it. Well, the idea of The White Maze was conceived when i was on vacation in Dahanu, a lesser known beach in Maharashtra. The simplicity and serenity of the place enchanted me. The sea is awesome in the day time, but at night it is something else….almost like an enigma. During my stay, there was an ebb and the water receded, and suddenly the picturesque shore was awash with the aghast reality of what unspeakable harm we humans have done. There sand could hardly be seen….all i could see was plastic and dead disposed off animal carcasses. Basically the sea was the pivotal point in my story. The concept of drug trafficking and using humans as mules was something i wove around this other unseen facet of nature.
2. Akhila Saroha: As a title, “The White Maze” makes the readers wander at different levels about its significance and validity. Did you have any alternative titles in mind? How did you come up with this as the title?
Arunima G: That is an interesting question. You see, unlike many writers, I don’t name a book after I have written it. It is the other way round for me. I chose a title and then write a book. Almost like writing an essay. The story IS actually a maze, an impossible situation that seemingly helpless people of the village are facing. Each character in my story has a problem which corners them into impossible situations and how they come out of it….some with courage, some with deceit…and some by sheer luck. Any which way, it is a maze for each individual. On a broader outlook, ‘white’ was used in the title for the obvious reason that I was writing about drugs. The word ‘maze’ was paired with it, because once you read the book, you will realize, that this deceptively beautiful white sparkling poison is the reason why the characters find themselves in a turmoil and in a ‘maze’….literally.
3. Akhila Saroha: How easy or difficult was it for you to decide the placement of the pace of the text and ensure that the readers would also feel connected to it in “The White Maze”?
Arunima G: When I write a book, I become the characters…the protagonists…the antagonists…the comedian and also the whore, if necessary. When I do that and start thinking like them and living their lives, the pace sets itself. Like, the part where Ratan Macchi accidentally kills his would be murderer, I could actually feel his confusion…his inner conflict. He is a simple man who hasn’t hurt a fly, but right then, he had killed a man, albeit someone who was out to kill him. Nevertheless, he keeps his cool in spite of the fact that he is mortally wounded himself. I think when a writer is in his or her character’s shoes, the story runs and walks at it’s supposed speed and pace.
4. Akhila Saroha: The book breaks ground by exploring subjects that make it unique in itself. Please share about your past experiences in literary writing as well as your future plans in writing.
Arunima G: My writing journey has been punctuated with large unintentional sabbaticals. My first book was ‘Glimpses from a moving train’, published somewhere in 2010 under my real name. It was a collection of 18 short stories but at that time neither did I know about the market, nor a thing about how to market myself. From time to time I have penned down hundreds of poems, all sitting in my laptop and never shared with the world, except with very near ones. I also resumed my short stories in 2021, 35 in total. And i would have continued scribbling short stories, had it not been for my editor and friend Phillips who egged me to venture into the world of novels. My first endeavor was The Feral Father, published in August 2022. The White Maze is my second book. My third book, The Kingdom of Rascals is scheduled to be released in the second week of April 2023 and I am extremely excited about it.
5. Akhila Saroha: Did you have any particular audience in mind while writing “The White Maze”? Which was it?
Arunima G: My stories deal with women protagonists and antagonist. I waddle into the lives of those who don’t have their own voice and I try to see the world from their eyes. My stories are projected more towards human psychology, so I had an adult audience in mind, who wouldn’t cringe or skip a paragraph when I am describing the macabre and the murkiness as it is. I believe in calling shit, shit. It is my style to paint the real picture….may it be a decaying dead body with a dead child born posthumously, or a newly wed couple making love for the first time. So my stories are not for the mild hearted, but for those who believe that a spade should be called a spade.
6. Akhila Saroha: “The White Maze” has a strong significance on the personal and social levels. Was prose the first format of writing that came to your mind to give words to your expression? Would you like to try the same with poetry as well?
Arunima G: As i mentioned earlier, poetry has always been my main foray. As a child, I started the trend of writing and reciting my own poems on stage in elocution competitions. Yes, I do write poetry, and i have a collection which is named after one of them. It is called ‘The Colour of my soul is Black’.
7. Akhila Saroha: “The White Maze” has given a powerful introduction to your potential as a writer. How was the journey of the book in the making?
Arunima G: I wrote the book in a little less than three weeks. Honestly speaking, I hadn’t given it much thought after finishing. But when my editor read it and asked me to go ahead with publishing it, I let out feelers for potential publishing houses. And now, you have the result in front of you.
8. Akhila Saroha: “The White Maze” also features a variety of people playing different roles. How easy or difficult was it for you to write about them and remain unbiased and not let the readers’ thoughts be influenced?
Arunima G: I think the answer is an oxymoron. As I mentioned earlier, I BECOME my characters. But when one is writing about several characters, it is equally important to become completely detached to the others while writing about the present one. The complexity and shades in my characters come from my in depth study of human psychology. Being a doctor by profession, we are trained to understand what the patient ISN’T saying….Maybe that has taught me how to put on different hats with equal panache.
9. Akhila Saroha: “The White Maze” features a plot that develops swiftly and still manages to keep the readers involved. How did you ensure that the readership would remain involved throughout?
Arunima G: Each chapter in the story ends with an unexpected twist and more questions than answers. I leave the lingering and tantalizing flavor of the answer ‘just there’ and when the reader feels that he absolutely KNOWS where the story is going, his head hits a large solid wall….meaning, my story has many doors but only one is the real one. The others are just diversions. I know what the reader is thinking and i give them just the opposite of what they are expecting. Love me…hate me….but that is what my stories are all about. I make sure that the reader goes back a paragraph or two to catch his breath!
10. Akhila Saroha: In the present time, the ideas in “The White Maze” do not find much mention. What, according to you, could be the possible reason for that?
Arunima G: Look, I feel the issue I deal with is something like a woman’s periods. It is THERE, and yet, a taboo. But taboos are what allure me. I love speaking about things which people would rather dig a grave and bury down….I am like a dog finding a bone. And taboo subjects are my bones.
