IAS officer Shubha Sarma pens anthology of short stories

Civil servant Shubha Sarma has penned a book of short stories set in locales ranging from the dense forests of Odisha to the lush greenery of Assam, while also packing in fiction set in fast-paced Delhi and Lucknow.
Titled "Fly on the Wall and other Stories," the book was released here late last evening by HRD Minister Shashi Tharoor in the presence of Culture Minister Chandresh Kumari Katoch.
In the anthology, totalling 13 short stories, Shubha takes inspiration from realistic tales in diverse settings and also delves on subjects ranging from urban milieu to areas of social unrest.
"My experiences in Lucknow, Delhi, Assam and Odisha have coloured my writing and emerged as the settings of my stories. I believe it has made the writing more authentic and believable," Shubha said.

The 1999 batch Lucknow-born IAS officer from the Odisha cadre has served more than a decade in the tribal districts of Odisha and is presently serving in the Culture Ministry here.
Branding herself as the proverbial fly on the wall, Shubha said, "A writer is in many ways a silent observer of happenings around him or her. She is like a fly on the wall."

Tharoor, who is an author himself with several published fiction and non-fiction, praised Shubha on her debut book.
"It is very difficult to hold a government job and write a fiction at the same time. I would congratulate her for writing cleverly-plotted and artistically-toned stories that hold your attention from the first to the last," Tharoor said.

Shubha bases her 13 stories on everyday characters who struggle with the surprises that life throws their way and real life situations that the reader can identify with.
"Written over four years, they are drawn from some people I have met or worked with," said Shubha who is also a yoga practitioner and enjoys travelling, cycling and swimming.
While Dipankar is returning to the land of his forefathers, weighed down for having neglected his ageing parents, Suniti,a fast-rising professional, juggles a burgeoning career with a husband who is himself trying to come to terms with a wife more successful than him.

"One of my stories finds resonance with the life of an IAS officer too. The heroine of the story Sambhavi Sinha, a fresh recruit to the Indian Police Service finds herself betrayed by her own tribe and ultimately finds justice through the fourth estate," said the author.
Shubha who lives in Delhi with husband and two sons said she explored the short story genre because "it is a convenient and less demanding companion that can be taken for granted."
"A novella can be a boring experience if it does not appeal to one's sensibilities. It is this realisation that egged me to explore this genre," said Shubha.

Noted literary personalities like Namita Gokhle and K Satchidanandan were also present at the event.