Peehu:
“I
heard them mourn my death. I lay in the next room. Motionless, silent, and
staring at the ceiling.”
Adih:
“When
it comes to a broken person, some of them are expert at blinding you. Spend an
entire evening with such a person, but you may still not know how he is
crushing inside.”
Uday:
“Who
would say no to him? He is smart, intelligent, super handsome, rich, suave and
sophisticated. He’s perfect!”
Pooja:
“Pooja
gave no explanation. She asked no forgiveness. She just arrived in his home,
resenting him for being her husband.”
Arunav:
“He
had smiled as if nothing was wrong.
He
had behaved as if he still had his dreams and hopes.
He
had pretended as if it didn’t hurt.
But
it did.”
Does
Destiny hold the key to our happiness?
Is
it always the feeble that is the victim?
Love
can be the embrace of heaven. But what happens when it unleashes hellfire?
Lose
yourself in the intense narrative of You Came Like Hope as it unleashes a
rollercoaster of emotions, uncovers some bitter truths, challenges widespread
prejudices, and forces you to reconsider your beliefs.
Check out the Free Sample of the novel
Book Trailer:
Book Links:
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An Interview:
When did you decide to become a writer?
This dream first took hold of me when I studied literature. I’ve done B.A. and M.A. in English Literature. While I was studying literature, I was amazed to see how much skill and craft went into writing of novels. I knew I could write well. I decided to practice the craft of writing to try and create books people would love to read. I was also amazed at the immortality that authors of great classics enjoyed. I started aspiring for that immortality too. So, I decided to become a novelist.
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
I want to win the love of readers all over the world.
Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?
My heroine is named Peehu. She suffers from inferiority complex and believes herself to be unlucky and a loser. She is so fed up of her life that when opportunity presents itself, Peehu assumes the identity of someone else.
My hero is Adih. He has seen the ruin of his family due to a woman’s treachery. As a result, he mistrusts all women. He has decided never to marry and all his energies are focused in ensuring well-being and happiness of his orphan niece.
Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?
I work with an IT staffing agency based in US. I work from my home in India, so it’s a night-shift job for me. As a result, my days start rather late. I mostly get time to write only in the afternoon or early evening.
Where do the ideas come from?
From everywhere, really. They just pop up when you aren’t even looking for them. For example, the idea for my second novel Lemon Girl came from the media reports of rising sexual crimes against women in India. When Lemon Girl released, one of my tweets about it came under attack by some anti-feminist Twitter trolls. And from there came the idea of You Came Like Hope.
Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?
I always have the end in sight before I begin my book. I create a rough outline of the plot before I start writing. But nothing very detailed or rigid. I mostly create detailed plan in bunches of 3,4 chapters as I progress into the book.
Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?
Don’t worry too much about it. Relax, do something you enjoy. The ideas will start flowing soon.
What can we expect from you down the line?
I have written three novels so far – Dream’s Sake, Lemon Girl, You Came Like Hope. All of them have love stories that center around a serious social issue. Now, I want to write something purely romantic. Time to have some fun!
Read an Excerpt:
Excerpt from chapter 17
It is not so easy to battle desire. It is not easy to battle the greatest need of our heart, the need to love and be loved. After years of cold solitude, love had broken through his armour. With it must have entered all the hopes and dreams that are the food of a young heart. When he looked at me at that moment, it was as if he was staring at the delicious possibilities of all that he had forbidden himself. The magic of a kiss, the joy of embrace, the comfort of having a hand to hold in life’s lonely wanderings, and the passion of love. All the wonderful possibilities of the future.
But there are some people who glance at the future with a shudder. Because the shadow of their past is so dreadful that they can see no light piercing through its gloom. Such a person was Adih, despite all his show of cheer and strength. Beaten by his past, he had selected the safest path and denied himself the liberty to look at any other option. All through the years, he had convinced himself that as long as Mani was well and happy, he needed nothing more.
That conviction was on a shaky ground now.
Since I had thrown myself in his arms after the party, and he had let his arms wrap around me, I guess he felt the lure of the forbidden and the possibility of stepping out of the barriers he himself had created. The barriers that had served him well till then in keeping love away. Maybe, he was scared of love. Because with love comes the risk of losing it. With love comes the risk of getting burnt with it. When love burns, it consumes even the soul. He had seen that happening to his brother.
‘Peehu,’ he said, when he was ready with his answer. He looked at me in a way that made me feel warm all over and yet sent a chill racing to my heart. ‘Why would I be scared of you? As I told you earlier, you are Rajni’s cousin, Mani’s teacher and my friend. That’s it. Now go and enjoy your ice cream.’
‘That’s it?’ I knew the answer, but still asked.
Adih took a deep breath, looked straight into my eyes and delivered his sentence. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘That’s all it is ever going to be.’
As I looked at him, I did not see the proud man capable of pushing everyone away with biting sarcasm. I saw the face of a man pushing away what he now desired most of all. The face that looked hard as ice one instant, and seemed ready to melt like snow the next.
There I stood, looking up at him, offering him my most ardent love, promising him the sweetest the life can bring. Yet, he looked at me for just a moment more, then turned his back on me.
But there are some people who glance at the future with a shudder. Because the shadow of their past is so dreadful that they can see no light piercing through its gloom. Such a person was Adih, despite all his show of cheer and strength. Beaten by his past, he had selected the safest path and denied himself the liberty to look at any other option. All through the years, he had convinced himself that as long as Mani was well and happy, he needed nothing more.
That conviction was on a shaky ground now.
Since I had thrown myself in his arms after the party, and he had let his arms wrap around me, I guess he felt the lure of the forbidden and the possibility of stepping out of the barriers he himself had created. The barriers that had served him well till then in keeping love away. Maybe, he was scared of love. Because with love comes the risk of losing it. With love comes the risk of getting burnt with it. When love burns, it consumes even the soul. He had seen that happening to his brother.
‘Peehu,’ he said, when he was ready with his answer. He looked at me in a way that made me feel warm all over and yet sent a chill racing to my heart. ‘Why would I be scared of you? As I told you earlier, you are Rajni’s cousin, Mani’s teacher and my friend. That’s it. Now go and enjoy your ice cream.’
‘That’s it?’ I knew the answer, but still asked.
Adih took a deep breath, looked straight into my eyes and delivered his sentence. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘That’s all it is ever going to be.’
As I looked at him, I did not see the proud man capable of pushing everyone away with biting sarcasm. I saw the face of a man pushing away what he now desired most of all. The face that looked hard as ice one instant, and seemed ready to melt like snow the next.
There I stood, looking up at him, offering him my most ardent love, promising him the sweetest the life can bring. Yet, he looked at me for just a moment more, then turned his back on me.
About the Author:
Jyoti Arora is a novelist
and blogger from Ghaziabad. You Came Like Hope is her third novel, coming after
Dream’s Sake and Lemon Girl. She is Post Graduate in English Literature and
Applied Psychology.
Jyoti Arora is a patient
of Thalassemia Major. But she does not let this stop or discourage her. For her
determination and achievements, Jyoti has received appreciation from Ms Sheila
Dixit, Ms Maneka Gandhi and the Ghaziabad wing of BJP. Her life story has been
covered in various local and national TV shows, radio programs, newspapers,
magazines and websites like YourStory and Inspire India. She was also one of
the ‘100 Women Achievers of India’ that were invited to witness the Republic
Day parade of India (2016) as special guests.
Besides reading and
writing novels, Jyoti also enjoys blogging and has won several blogging
competitions. She loves checking out latest technological innovations, watching
movies, and listening to old Bollywood songs. Reach her at jyotiarora.com.
Contact the Author:
