Making of -"Love will find a way"

Before any blockbuster (or even a dud film) comes out, comes the "making of it"- All the behind the scenes action that add to the overall excitement of that film. Now I am not saying my first book will compete in the 100 crore club but for me it is as precious as Viraj- My first baby :)

I will not be able to account for a day by day "making" of this book but there are some incidents behind it which are worth capturing!

The manuscript

1. There are only 3 people who have read this book before its release. My younger brother cum best friend- Rahul-who read it in the 1st two hours of me sending it to him. In fact even when I had not completed it, he would message me thrice a day to check if I was ONLY writing and not sleeping! My father, had to convince himself a lot before reading a work of fiction. He did so purely because he loves me and no other reason in this world! The last but certainly NOT the least (simply because of the effort Rahul, Papa and I put on him to sit down and read it) is my Husband- Saurabh! First he took out the print of the whole manuscript (3 days). Then he filed it in a neat folder (2 days). Then he kept it on his bedside (5 days). Then he planned a holiday to Kasauli only because he wanted to read in a serene, hill station kind of scenario (4 days). Then he tucked it in a handbag and assured me and Rahul that he will read it in Shatabdi express (6 hours). He read all the newspapers but did not open the folder as his head apparently spins when he reads in motion! We reach Kasauli, spend 3 days on the hills but Saurabh did not/could not begin reading it! We come back home, Shatabdi again, and he.........yes you guessed right- didnt read it. Then one Sunday evening, when the accusations and doubts probably weighed heavy on him, he set up a reading friendly atmosphere on our balcony- and READ!! He finished in two hours flat. Why? "I just could not keep it down!"
2. One night the filed manuscript was lying on our Dining table just before dinner. My Mom In law picked up the file, turned some pages and said- "What is this?". Saurabh told her its the book her Daughter In law has written. Love what she said after that- "You wrote it? Every page of this? Each and every word?? I thought you guys were kidding about this book thing!"....No Ma, luckily we were not!
3. On some days, I used to get so engrossed while writing, like maybe when I was stuck with some character or a chapter, that my sons just would not understand why Mamma is not getting up from her desk. When they probed I told them- "Ma is writing a book. She needs some time from you guys". They complied but looked worried- "We will have to read it too?". Oh babies- You will...but not now :)
4. My Mother is the silent support behind all this furor. She knows the premise of the story and that is enough for her. Whoever she has met after I got down to write it, she has told- "Parul ab kitaab likh rahi hai". Its this faith that has kept me going Mamma!
5. A cousin of mine always knew I had a thing for writing. When I started blogging, he encouraged every time I posted an entry. When I told him I might get published- he started calling me- "Kalam Waali Bai". Dimple Kapadia was called by this silly name by Nana Patekar in some shady Bollywood flick! More so he introduces me to his friends also with this name!!
6. One of my father's best friends has already taken my "Autograph" on a tissue paper! He says the day I will give my "first official one", he will claim his supremacy :)
7. My extended family and some close friends have been hounding the 3 people who have read this book for "sneak previews". Rahul says he will have to stop meeting people as he has run out of excuses to evade the questions!

There are so many other moments that have helped me shape this story. It has come out of my heart and not the mind. Like I said, its like my first baby- more may come after this but the innocence and excitement that I have put in this one, cannot be replicated :)

Oh and you can download my novella here : http://www.indireads.com/books/love-will-find-a-way/