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Home, alone

Story from the heart Asha Iyer Kumar

Home is where the heart is, believe some people. And the heart could be in the comforting environs of one’s own land or in the deceptive comfort of a faraway land. Nostalgia is the curse of the Indian Diaspora living abroad and though, a hackneyed theme, it finds its way into Asha Iyer Kumar’s debut novel, ‘Sand Storms, Summer Rains.’

Published by Frog Books, the book looks into the sad truths that govern the lives of expatriates in the Gulf through the eyes of two central characters, both from Kerala. In the author’s own words, “I had thought of this particular theme - the lives of expatriates in the Gulf – especially those separated from family… I had been three years in Gulf then and what I had seen around me about these people was heart wrenching. There was this one slice of well-heeled expatriate community that revelled in good life and there was this flip side that was just getting by – away from home, alone in an alien territory, yet afloat. I felt an intense urge to write about them.”

The U.A.E.-based Asha, who turned to freelance writing after stints in corporate communications and public relations, chose the novel as a medium to give vent to her observations about this unfortunate community – a lot most Keralites are quite familiar with.

Asha explains, “A novel provided a canvas that could carry a collage of inter-related images that I had collected about this theme. My novel is a summary of many little things about the life of expatriates in the Gulf and their families.”

Having lived in the Gulf for some years now, Asha tries to authentically portray the pain of a struggling ‘Gulfee.’ However, it is this part that she found challenging too, as she attempted a portrayal sans melodrama. The book has instances of vivid description, which could be the result of acute observations collected over time. This, coupled with the author’s own experiences, has directed the book’s course. “There are both good and bad sides to living away from India. The good thing of course, is the quality of life we have here, which no expatriate would give up, unless forced to. And the down side is the very fact that we are away from all that we grew up knowing and likeFrom small things like the fresh open air in your room to the sounds of the koel, cockerel and the music from the temple that wakes you up in the morning to the monsoon and the greenery,” Asha explains.

As readers continue to experience the powerful ‘Sand Storms’ and the cool ‘Summer Rains,’ Asha is working on an idea for her next novel. She will also soon publish her collection of short stories, ‘Marie Biscuits and other snacks.’

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