Ever-changing love

“I have been in the habit of playing with words and penning down random verses since a long time. And when my poems started garnering critical attention, the idea of Love Chameleon emerged. I thought of the concept of a book that describes myriad emotions attached to love and relationships, and I started putting the work into a logical sequence and tying them in with new works. My biggest strength in writing comes from the conviction to present truth in its naked form. The book is a chameleon that changes colour and takes you through a plethora of moods and emotions. It is like unhurried lovemaking. Poetry is one of the most beautiful and expressive of all art forms. Young readers must encourage and appreciate good poetry,” says Nidhi.

The entrepreneur, who started Karmic Life Sciences to create something new and recently exited the company to work on a new healthcare venture, shares about her favourite part of the book, “The chameleon is a metaphor to represent the ever-changing nature of love, sometimes to impersonate a lover who changes colour or sometimes to depict the fickle nature of the self; and at other times, as a symbol of the insatiable nature of human desire. On another level, I have played with words, so chameleon becomes kamaleon, chameleonic or chameleonesque in various poems. In many ways, the chameleon theme resonates throughout the book and runs as a common unifying thread across poems.”

Speaking of her favourite authors, she says, with a twinkle in her eye, “I like to read Milan Kundera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Amitav Ghosh and Vikram Seth closer home. These are master storytellers who transport you to a different place and time with the power of their writing. Life is fairly complex and the surreal world they transport you into is highly enchanting and serves as a great escape. Also, travelling is one of the ways to keep exploring and rejuvenating. I’m always looking for new places to weave my stories.”

Venturing into the personal, one discovers the person behind the personality. Standing firm in her beliefs dressed in an androgynous avatar, she says, “I believe in an inclusive approach and freedom of choice; and that choice applies in many contexts including ones associated to sexuality and gender identity. As human beings, we are diverse and different and it is time that such issues come out of the closet and are openly debated and people take a mature and sensitive view of someone’s unique identity. I’m completely opposed to archaic laws like Section 377, they are a shame.”