Author Sujata Rajpal had a conversation with us on her book Things Left Unsaid! and her writing.
Readomania: Things Left Unsaid is an intriguing title. Tell us about what you wanted to convey through it.
Sujata: The title Things Left Unsaid taps into the human experience of holding emotions within ourselves. Not every emotion can be put into words, nor can it always be communicated through body language. Often, we find ourselves unable or unwilling to express certain feelings - whether out of fear, shame, or simply not having the right words. These unspoken emotions don’t simply fizzle out on their own; instead, they linger beneath the surface, simmering and affecting us in ways we may not fully realize. These unsaid and unexpressed emotions shape our thoughts, our perspective, our relationships with others and with ourselves, creating distances, misunderstandings, or even emotional barriers. So, while silence speaks volumes, it also holds the weight of unspoken truths.
Readomania: The stories in Things Left Unsaid delve into deep emotions like heartbreak and betrayal. What inspired you to explore such raw and complex themes in your writing?
Sujata: Heartbreak and betrayal are universal emotions that most of us have experienced at some point in our lives, and often surface when we least expect them. In today’s world, our hearts have become so fragile that they break at the slightest provocation. We are constantly navigating a world where our feelings are exposed, vulnerable, and easily hurt.
At the core of heartbreak is expectation. We expect our partners to be loyal, expect children to treat parents with kindness and respect, and expect siblings to stand by each other, and have certain other expectations from people around us. When those expectations are not reciprocated or when betrayal occurs, they leave us questioning the integrity of the relationships we once believed in. It’s impossible to stay completely immune and not expect anything at all.
I wanted to explore these emotions through these stories. These are not just fleeting moments of pain, but deep, lasting scars that shape our lives and the way we interact with others. The aftermath of these experiences can alter our perspectives on love, and trust. By delving into these themes, I hope to shed light on the complexities of human relationships and the emotional turmoil that accompanies them, ultimately offering a reflection on the fragility of the heart and the resilience it requires to heal.
Readomania: The book touches on everything from passionate love to devastating loss. How do you balance these contrasting emotions within the narrative while keeping the story cohesive?
Sujata: Life is a complex mix of myriad emotions- love, loss, betrayal, redemption, guilt, and so much more. The human mind can endure and process all of these emotions at once. We can feel the intensity of passionate love for someone while simultaneously experiencing negative emotions like fear, anger, or even resentment towards that person. Much like life itself, the human mind is not black and white; it exists in shades of grey. This understanding helped me to balance these contrasting emotions in the narrative. I didn’t see them as separate entities but as interconnected aspects of the human experience. In writing, I had to immerse myself in the character's psyche and navigate these emotional complexities. Emotions don't follow a linear path; they ebb and flow, and so did the narrative - fluctuating between passion and pain, joy and sorrow, in a way that mirrors real life.
Readomania: One of the key themes in the book seems to be the healing power of vulnerability. How do you think embracing vulnerability can transform a person’s emotional journey after a difficult experience?
Sujata: Being vulnerable is often seen as a weakness, and in a way, that is true. However, it also possesses an incredible strength to heal and transform a person’s emotional journey. Endurance builds strength and gives us the courage to face life, no matter what it brings. Whether life is good or bad, it must be embraced; one can’t live in a shell or adopt an escape mentality. Vulnerability makes a person stronger because adversity leads to opportunity.
Readomania: Can you tell us about one of your characters who undergoes a significant transformation in the book? How does their journey of healing shape the overall message of the story?
Sujata: Most of my characters undergo significant evolution and transformation, as I wanted to convey a positive message through these stories. My characters endure pain, but in the end, they become stronger. In Two Scoops of Chocolate Mousse, the protagonist, a young woman in a relationship with a married man, realizes that while she deeply loves him, she equally loves and values herself. In The Park, Nitya, a young mother who has been experiencing mental and sexual harassment at work, comes to the realization that she needs to take control of her own life. In The Loss, Samar, a young boy who blames his father for his mother’s death, reconciles with the circumstances, finding strength in his acceptance. Each of these characters’ journeys of healing shapes the overall message of the story - that through pain and adversity, one can find strength, empowerment, and ultimately, transformation.
Readomania: You mention that love has the power to heal and transform. What message about love do you hope readers take away from Things Left Unsaid?
Sujata: Love is often viewed primarily as romantic, but in Things Left Unsaid, I wanted to show that self-love is just as powerful. The message I hope readers take away is that nothing is more important than learning to love and value yourself. Self-love lays the foundation for healing and transformation, and only when we truly love ourselves we can love others and spread happiness. The stories in the book highlight different aspects of love - romantic, familial, and platonic, but they all converge on the idea that love, in its many forms, has the ability to heal and transform. The characters in these stories endure pain, face betrayal, and confront adversity, yet it is their journey toward understanding and nurturing their own self-worth that allows them to heal and grow. Love can be a powerful force for change, but it begins with the most important kind of love: the love we give ourselves.
Readomania: There are two heart-wrenching Covid stories in this collection. Are they from personal experience?
Sujata: Like most other stories in the book, these two heart-wrenching COVID stories are inspired by people and situations around me. During the pandemic, we witnessed the social isolation of the elderly, who were forced to stay indoors without any social contact. There were parents anxiously waiting for their adult children to reach home safely, and these cases were happening all around us. It was deeply moving because these were not just fictional stories; they were real incidents affecting real people. The toll of such isolation wasn’t just on physical health, but also on mental health, and I wanted to capture that in these stories, shedding light on the unseen struggles many faced during such challenging times.
Readomania: Writing about heartbreak and personal struggles requires a certain level of emotional openness. Was it difficult for you to tap into such deep emotions while writing, and if so, how did you navigate that?
Sujata: It wasn’t necessarily difficult, but it was certainly challenging. As an author, you need to step into the shoes of your character, become the character yourself, and truly feel what they feel. It’s about connecting with the emotions and experiences you want your characters to undergo. For most writers, this comes naturally when they immerse themselves in the character’s mindset. In The Homecoming, the COVID story, I could truly feel the pain of parents who were not allowed to see their son, who had returned from Mumbai, simply because guests were not allowed inside. Each time I edited that story, I would get goosebumps, thinking, what if this happened to me? That emotional connection with the characters and the story is what makes the writing process so powerful, but it also means you have to tap into those intense emotions, which can be both difficult and transformative.
Readomania: How important is the role of hope in your writing? Do you think that, in real life, it’s possible to fully heal from heartbreak, or is it an ongoing journey?
Sujata: Hope plays a crucial role in these stories because, at its core, life itself is sustained by hope. While it is possible to fully heal from heartbreak, the journey can be long and challenging for some, because it is never easy to untangle ourselves from the past. We all experience heartbreak, betrayal, and treachery, though the intensity may vary. To keep moving forward, we must find a way to heal. It’s not whether we should or shouldn’t heal, we have no choice but to heal, because life demands it. The purpose of life is to live in a way that is happy, content, and purposeful, and that becomes achievable only when we heal from our emotional wounds. This is something I wanted to express through my stories. We are all human, and despite pain and hurt, we must also look ahead- not just for ourselves but also for those around us. Healing is not just for our own peace, but for the people we care about as well.
Readomania: In Things Left Unsaid, there are multiple perspectives and voices throughout. How do you juggle different characters’ emotions and experiences while ensuring each story still feels complete on its own?
Sujata: Writing from multiple perspectives, each with distinct emotions and experiences, requires the ability to shift between various emotional states and mindsets. Writers have to dive deep into each character’s world, understanding their unique struggles, desires, and fears. One moment you might be exploring the deep love a character feels for parents, and the next, you’re navigating the raw pain of heartbreak or the sorrow of dealing with death. It’s a delicate balancing act that demands emotional versatility and empathy. The key is to truly step into each character’s shoes. The transitions between different emotional modes might seem challenging, but it is about capturing the full spectrum of human experiences, from joy to pain, love to loss, and making sure each story stands on its own while contributing to the overarching narrative. In Things Left Unsaid, each story, while unique in its emotional core, still shares a common thread of human vulnerability and growth. The challenge is to ensure that, no matter the perspective, the reader feels the depth of each character’s journey and the emotional resolution they arrive at. I hope to create a sense of completion for each individual story while maintaining an emotional continuity throughout the collection.
Readomania: What is it about the short story format that appealed to you for Things Left Unsaid? How does writing short stories differ from writing a full-length novel, both in terms of structure and emotional depth?
Sujata: Short stories don’t allow deep exploration of every emotion, so every word has to move the story forward and convey something meaningful. There’s no room for fluff. In short stories, you can’t dive too deeply into multiple emotions within a single narrative, nor can you include too many characters. It has to be quick and concise. In contrast, a novel can accommodate many characters, various emotions, and different subplots. I enjoy writing both forms. With a novel, you live with the characters for months, deeply immersing yourself in their lives. In a short story, however, you quickly navigate through one emotion, then move on to another, shifting from one character to the next. It's a different kind of rhythm, but both formats offer unique creative challenges and rewards.
Readomania: Can you walk us through your typical writing process? Do you have a set routine, or does your approach vary depending on the story you're working on?
Sujata: Mostly, it starts with an incident or an idea that triggers something inside me, and I feel the need to explore it further. For example, the story The Loss was inspired by something my son told me when he was in school. He shared that one of his classmates' mothers had committed suicide after an argument with her husband the night before. Every day, he would tell me that the child seemed sad and didn’t eat his lunch. That thought was disturbing, it stayed with me, and eventually led to the creation of characters, a setting, and a resolution. Most of my stories are sparked by an idea, a thought, or an experience—either personal or something I’ve observed. It’s always an emotion or a thought that triggers the story, and then I fill it out from there. I’m not sure if this is the ‘ideal’ way to write a short story, but for me, it works.
Readomania: What is the most challenging part of writing for you? Is it creating the emotional core of a story, or perhaps finding the right words to bring the characters to life? Also, what advice would you want to give to aspiring writers?
Sujata: The most challenging part of writing for me is finding the right words to convey emotions and give depth to the story. It’s not just about the idea, but how you treat that idea. Two writers can approach the same concept in completely different ways, and it’s the treatment- the way you bring the story to life that truly matters. The readers can only visualize and feel the story through your words, so the impact of what I want them to feel depends entirely on my choice of words. It’s all about vocabulary and articulation.
As for advice to aspiring writers: don’t be afraid to experiment with words. Write with authenticity and don’t rush the process of exploring the depths of the story and finding the right way to express your ideas. The more you write, the more you will learn how to articulate your emotions in a way that resonates with your readers.
Readomania: Do you ever draw inspiration from your personal life when writing short stories, or do you prefer to build entirely fictional worlds? How much of your own experience do you put into your work?
Sujata: Every story is inspired by real people, real situations around me, or something that someone has shared with me. However, to turn these experiences into an engrossing story that readers can truly relate to, I try to exaggerate certain aspects, create a compelling setting, and develop interesting characters and circumstances. While the seed of the story comes from real life, the narrative is built to engage and resonate with readers in a way that feels fictional yet deeply grounded in reality.
Readomania: As a writer, do you have any books or authors that have deeply influenced your own work or inspired you in writing Things Left Unsaid? What are some of your all-time favourite reads?
Sujata: I admire the writings of Manju Kapur, and have read all her books multiple times– Difficult Daughters, Custody, A Married Woman, Home, and Immigrant. Her writing is very vivid and visual, and she dives deep into emotions. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hossein is my all-time favourite. His writing is very crisp, and plot is taut. I also follow Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s writings.
Readomania: Thank you for talking to us, Sujata. We wish the best for all your future endeavours! Her book can be picked from Amazon. Click here.
Sujata has this to say about herself, 'I am a Corporate Communication & PR professional turned a full-time author. As a part of my job, when I was writing company newsletters and press releases for the media, I found a new love for fiction writing. The day my debut novel The Other End of the Corridor was released, I put down my papers, and became a full-time writer. The Other End of the Corridor based on domestic violence and fraud in arranged marriages was selected as one of the six books which broke stereotypes. My second book The Life I Saw (a non-fiction) is an autobiography of a partition refugee. Things left Unsaid, a collection of short stories is my third book. Besides writing fiction, I am also a freelance writer, a Toastmaster and a TEDx speaker. I have studied Mass Communication & PR and done my MPhil in Economics from Panjab University, Chandigarh.'
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