A Tea Time Chat: Embracing the Rich Tapestry of Desi Culture

There were many Aditis in my class. And my friends call me Tripathi.

If you frequently scour Wattpad for desi stories, desperately searching for a literary break from the usual world, TripuWrites is a must-know - a chic handle with fictional stories setup in a desi urban or rural landscapes. A quick glance at the page immediately gives you ‘the authentic’ desi vibes, which is not that common on this platform. The reading list she curates is nothing short of exquisite, and once you start delving into her books, it's quite challenging to hit pause. After you've devoured all her works, don't forget to explore her reading list; it's equally rewarding.

Born in Meerut and brought up in Noida, Aditi Tripathi is your typical North Indian girl. Her regular visits to her grandparents in the Gorakhpur-Ballia region of Uttar Pradesh have etched an indelible mark on her life. Living through vivid descriptions of the Gangetic plains adorned with the local Purvanchalee culture, these experiences have become a wellspring of inspiration. They form the backdrop for her book titled "Bhabra," where she beautifully captures the essence of life and culture in that setting.

"There's this tradition of cooking really huge puris, the size of a massive wok... It's a very simple cuisine. So, a lot of those visuals and many of those little things about food, like the kheer and the dahi chawal that they eat and such, are very core ‘Purvanchalee’. These are things I picked up from those experiences."

Though the story closely aligns with reality, a feature often absent in some Wattpad books, Aditi has never drawn inspiration from real life, with the exception of her first book, which mirrored her friend circle (non-existent now).

She delves into the surreal experience of a walking dream, a sensation readers frequently encounter whilst immersed in her books.

“I do project weird personalities and weird backstories upon people I would see on the street or in the Metro, but that is just a concept, nothing in reality.”

Aditi frequently dabbles with romance, albeit in a realistic setting. She narrates one of the scene changes in Bhabra involving a full-on dramatic breakup involving the lead pair. The scene could have been like any other typical romance with the masala that teens crave so much. But Aditi’s approach is different.

Spoiler ahead!

"There was one chapter when Madhu and Nakul were literally screaming at each other, having this big dramatic breakup, and I just wrote it as if they were throwing things at each other. However, when I reached their eventual breakup, I realized it had to be quiet. They couldn't be throwing things! Madhulika is way too sophisticated, and Nakul is way too much of a gentleman."

When asked about her process of coming up with a plot, Aditi unveils a fascinating journey of creative exploration.

“Sometimes I deviate from the plot sketch.” she says.

But not much. Aditi focuses on a character-driven plot.

"I do enjoy pinpointing characterisations. In much of character-driven fiction, once you discern what the character stands for and their core values, there are moments when you realize that certain plot points may not align with them. While I do have certain beats mapped out for the story, the narrative often undergoes substantial changes due to its character-driven nature.”

The characters, with their intricacies and evolving personalities, take control, guiding the plot in directions that resonate authentically with their individual journeys. It's truly wonderful. Isn't this what keeps us hooked onto her stories?

Aditi admits to exploring themes other than romance. A bit of historical fiction and feminism, too. Indian feminism, in particular. She explains that her passion lies in crafting narratives about Indian women, showcasing their diverse and varied characters.

“I'm currently working on projects where romance especially ‘The Mace’ that I've just started, is related to women and girls …..all the kinds of shades of women, I feel like that is important”

A point that Aditi makes is to represent women in their true sense, as fellow humans, just like anyone else. Not the commonly portrayed angels who cannot possess a single speck of the darker traits.

“If you've been surrounded by women your whole life, then you know that they're human. And they're not angelic. They're not made to save people. Sometimes, they're not even made to save themselves. They need saving sometimes. Most of the women I know are very complicated. They're flawed. They're rude. They're brash. But they're also very, very sweet. They're very loyal. And loyalty is a trait that I really want in my characters.” 

Aditi goes on to quote Madhulika, the main lead in Bhabra. Madhulika did need saving. She had her flaws and her strengths. She did cheat on her friends. But yes, she was loyal. She cared about a lot of things, too. To quote her, “Madhulika was a mixed bag.” Just like any other woman out there.

Aditi's stories feature a glossary at the end, aiding both non-Hindi and Hindi speakers. Some dialects have quite unique words, too.

The interview took a dive into culture while discussing Bhabra and the prominent Indian references that feature.  The conversation took this particular turn since we started discussing the great Indian epics - Mahabharat and Ramayan. 

“Hanumanji is my Ishtadev. So many of the narratives come to me, as I would not say divinely inspired, but I still would want to have his presence in the background of many of those stories that I tell. I've grown up on the epics, grown up listening to the epics, I've grown up the right way by listening to the epics rather than reading or watching them on television. That has been my first exposure. My Nanu just sitting me down and telling me stories from the Ramayan and the Mahabharat. That aspect of storytelling I think, was very integral, and these epics come with ageless, timeless themes and timeless lessons. It's not just my stories particularly because I think a lot of storytelling and a lot of modern-day books that are being written in India and movies that are made in India do play a lot on the narratives and the themes of the epics.”

“My dad got me a Christmas gift which was nothing but B. R. Chopra's entire CD set of Mahabharat, and he's like, “Have this, watch this, stop troubling me now.” She laughs.

Aditi feels Ramayan and Mahabharat have always been and continue to be woven into the diverse thread of Indian society. Shades of Ramayan and Mahabharat come up in varied forms in day-to-day life. She narrated an incident involving a discussion at her college, CNLU Patna, where she is currently pursuing her fourth year in Law. She explains how even a single character from the Mahabharat is enough to start a full-fledged discussion that has the potential to warp into a debate with unique learning outcomes.

“We launched a literary society called Anecdotes. We have these open mic sessions, and in the very first open mic session, someone recited a poem on Karn. Karn is such an interesting character, people hate him, people love him, people think he's tragically misunderstood, they feel he's the real hero, he deserved the kingdom. There was this whole debate for three hours about whether Karn deserved it, whether he was a good person or a bad person, whether he was better than the Mahabharat heroes, whether he deserved theHastinapur, whether he was just as bad as Duryodhan and Dushasan and the others…. 

Everyone has a certain level of understanding, and so I think it's always an important point of discussion to bring people together and have interesting conversations around it. They're just great stories.”

Aditi has mentioned and used these epics in Bhabra. The main lead references these epics for building a community in Bhabra. And it does work wonders.

When asked about how frequently she observes people passionately discussing the impact of these epics in today's Western-influenced world, Aditi responds,

“I think my friends are. I'm not sure about a large majority of people, but I think yes. I'm not sure that it brings people together in the same way it used to, but it certainly attracts children. If I'm out buying a book for my baby cousins or for my baby sister, I will pick up something from Puranic literature. I will pick up an Amar Chitra Katha comic. I will also pick up other stories like Enid Blyton.”

A recurring theme in Bhabra revolves around Madhulika's dilemma in choosing a life in the city, where her business is located, and her village, where her ancestral home resides. Madhulika feels, at several instances in the book, that she has a deep connection and a long-standing obligation to the small village where she spent the golden period of her childhood. The author responds to similar situations seen in current generations, who are similarly torn between appealing opportunities abroad and a warm, deep love for the country where they have spent a warm childhood.

"I don't think it's an obligation. It should only come out of the organic love that you have for your country. You cannot force it. In my experience, patriotism is something that I've always felt. You can give me the cheesiest video about soldiers working hard for our country and then find me being very proud and just alluding to the flag with a proud smile. I will never judge people for settling abroad. Your first obligation is your family, so you have to do that.”

Aditi feels that remembering and appreciating one's culture is nothing less than being patriotic. 

“I think people should understand their culture and appreciate it. I have started to appreciate Purvanchal or eastern Uttar Pradesh / Bihar more because that's such a stigmatised part of our country.”

“I think a lot of people inherently feel patriotic, and they showcase their patriotism in different ways. So there's no one right way of doing that; you can't quantify that! You don't have to install a well in your village to be a good citizen. Just give up your metro seat when required; that's fine!!"

Coming back to the story, Aditi does have certain preferences that may cause heartbreak to certain fans. Aditi feels that her characters deserve a happy ending, even if it doesn't necessarily involve the lead pair reuniting.

“I feel like with Bhabra, it always was supposed to be a happy ending. Because I was toying with the idea of not having them end up together towards the end of it, even if they had broken up, it would have still been a happy story for Bhabra, the village itself, and the people involved. But I realised that a happy ending was necessary for Madhu.”

Some people were, however, angry with Madhulika for ending up with a good guy like Nakul because Madhu had flawed colours. Aditi disagrees. Madhulika was good to many people, not all. She had this selfless love for Bhabra and its people, which made her worthy of the good she got at the end. 

Aditi adds,

“When they're very old, Madhulika would actively pray that Nakul dies before she does because he's already lost a lot of people in his life. She does not want him to outlive her. That is the kind of selfless love she has for him. She would be devastated after he dies, but you know she would still pray that he gets the chance to die surrounded by people he loves as opposed to being alone when he gets there. She's a businesswoman - a little bossy and arrogant, but at the same time, she's extremely loyal and selfless in terms of the people she loves.”

It’s probably time to discuss things outside of Bhabra. Aditi has plans for exciting stories in urban settings this time. She is currently working on ‘Hi Delhi’ (or maybe ‘Hi Dilli’ if we are true to the pronunciation; well, we have to see when the book is out), which is about a bunch of selfish people (friends), five of them. There is also ‘The Shrew’s Groom’, which is about an arranged marriage between two personalities who are of the type, to quote her,

‘Yeah, I do want to marry you because I don't love you but I have to get married to someone, and you're as good as any other person.’ 

Quite down to business, isn’t it?

Aditi's current obsession is a historical fiction story set in Banaras, urban but perhaps not entirely relatable to the current urban dwellers. “But it will be a good story nevertheless,” she adds.

Talking about a ‘hatke’ genre, Utopian peeps would be slightly disheartened because she does not plan to try that. 

“I do not understand technology enough for me to even begin to imagine certain things like that. But with fantasy, I've always wanted to try my hand… A little bit of magical realism was also present in Bhabra with the whole Pandit character, but with ‘Hi Dilli’ specifically, I wanted to infuse like crazy urban fantasy into the world, and I think that's what I wanted to do.”

Onto ‘The Mace’, another ongoing project, Aditi explains,

“So with The Mace, it's again very special because I wouldn't say I'm a huge bhakt of Hanumanji, but I still have a lot of love for that deity, and he has always been a constant in my life since childhood. So, I get inspired by many of his traits and stories that I've grown up listening to. The Mace is kind of like an ode to my favourite God. The Mace embodies the strength of character, loyalty, and strength in general associated with the deity. The character Maya is set against the backdrop of India’s colonial struggle. It's a narrative set in an era wherein the British officers were very keen on banning all sorts of traditional martial arts in India that included mace fighting.”

She stops here. What were you expecting? The whole story? No spoilers. 

Aditi Tripathi has been on the Wattpad platform ever since early 2017. She has always been a voracious reader. 2017 was eventful enough (in a not good way for her academics) to push her into writing. She had been a science kid, studying Biology and studying to become a doctor. But 2017 told her otherwise. 

“I was never, I think, dedicated. I was just trying to impress my parents. I left biology, but I didn't like anything else. I was not really particularly passionate about storytelling, but as I learned more, things changed. Then Bhabra was truly a passion project, the rest is history.”

Aditi explains that she never was a shy, unknown writer trying to keep up with the anonymous tag. Now, she is slightly so. 

“I was kind of hungry for attention back then. Now, I'm quite the opposite. I don't want people in my life engaging with my works a lot. Like with my best friends, I’m like, “Yeah. I've written this. Whatever. You read it if you want. Or don’t. That's my attitude now.” 

Aditi is surprisingly kind to readers wanting an update. (If they ask nicely. Conditions apply.)

“I have been in a writer's block since early 2022, and that coincided with the opening up after Covid - so life just came at me.  I moved from my home to college, I settled into campus life and with all that crazy hectic schedule that comes with being a law student I forgot really about my commitments to writing because I was trying to figure out a very difficult profession in its own right. So, once I settled into that, I've slowly started coming back to writing. I do go through the writer's block, and I do find people asking me for updates. If they ask nicely, if they say, ‘Hey, I love your work, I'm concerned, what's up?’ I reply, ‘See, this is what is going on. I really can't promise an update.’ ” 

The key to getting a reply is, after all, asking nicely! Else your comments are trashed in the very literal sense.

A fun fact that Aditi shared explains how far she has come in her journey as a writer,

“...the funny thing is with, ‘Crossing the I's and dotting the T's. The name seems very weird to say now. But while writing that book, I did not have my laptop. I had my mother's laptop, and most of the time, it was not free. So, I used a second-hand notebook made of recycled paper. And because I was very environmentally conscious back then. And I'm not now!!!” she laughs.

“I need pretty stationery. But back then I was writing on those second-hand greyish papers. I still have them. I found that notebook while I was cleaning this year only. And that was a trip. And I hand-wrote all those chapters while I was sitting in class at school. Because I didn't have my phone then. And I would come back. And then in my tiny phone - a white Samsung, I would type hunched over in the middle of the night.So that entire book I have handwritten and then typed it on my phone. After that, I gave up on handwriting. Because typing was and is very easy.” 

She advises budding Wattpad writers to have a good grasp of grammar. Running after votes and comments can be a pain in the (some words that we can skip here). But quoting some advice, 

“It's challenging if you publish a chapter and get like five words towards the end of two hours. I understand that you're chasing that algorithm, but the best way to sustain a good reader base is to actively engage with anyone who's coming across your book. Go ahead and find books that are in the same boat as yours. You'll discover some undiscovered gems, some beautiful writings, and then you'll also make great friends along the way.”

Don’t be transactional while making friends. Be a part of a community before asking for readers.

On a personal front, Aditi listens to the wall tracks 1989 and rewatches Derry Girls. She is re-reading Suzzane Collins (a lot of The Hunger Games). She loves Sanjeev Sanyal’s ‘Land of Seven Rivers: History of India’s Geography’ and ‘The Ocean of Churn: How the Indian Ocean shaped Human History’. 

To those who read on Wattpad, Her favourites include stories by Shubhodiya (the Dil series!!), Ankita (whom Udaan interviewed the last time) and Rob Thier’s ‘Storm and Silence’ series. For those who are hunting for good stories on Wattpad, Aditi recommends ‘Trivandrum Mail’, anything by Superstar, the author of ‘The Balcony’, ‘The Mischievous Mrs Maxfield’ and a lot of desi fiction (that is lost on Wattpad) to be absolute gems. 

Aditi does want to get published but doesn’t want to make any of her current Wattpad stories paid. She is all for writers getting paid for their stories and would definitely pay up if she wanted to read. But she has different plans. 

“I do want to get published traditionally, but there are no plans as of yet. I'm just in the zone of writing right now. Even if Bhabra does get published, it'll be quite a different and bulkier version of Bhabra.  (NEWS FLASH BHABRA FANS!!!) Because I'm working on a rewrite and adding a lot of Nakul’s chapters from his perspective as he was a kid.”

That brings us to the end of the interview and a good reading list to binge over.