Sweet, steamy distractions

Looking for some desi, naughty short stories perfect for those hours when your boss is not watching, or for those moments at night when everyone else is fast asleep but you’re awake with carnal thoughts? Author Apurv Nagpal has come out with a collection of bedtime stories for grown-ups. His debut novel Eighteen Plus promises to stir the voyeuristic self of the readers.

A Shri Ram College of Commerce graduate and IIM-A alumnus, Apurv worked in the corporate field for over 20 years. Ditching his high-profile job of serving as the MD & CEO of Saregama India Limited, the author confesses that he always wanted to retire early and take up writing as a full-fledged profession. “I didn’t start off thinking that I would be writing about something as explicit and straightforward as my latest book. I wanted  my characters to be as believable as possible. So there are characters like a horny man and his prudish wife, a tauji kidnapping a sexologist couple not for ransom but for ulterior motives,” he shares.

Although the stories are mostly naughty and humorous, with explicit details of people getting down and dirty in the sack, the book aims more at a sexy punch that literary flourish. When quizzed as to why he chose to make his writing sexually explicit, the author quickly explains, “It is surprising why India — the land of Kamasutra and the country that boasts of the bold and beautiful Khajuraho temples — expects its people to maintain hypocritical standards when it comes to sex.”

He elaborates, “As a child, I hated the fact that when the hero and heroine of a Bollywood movie kissed, flowers would come on the screen or pigeons pecking each other would pop up on the screens. I was highly disturbed by that and didn’t want to leave my readers in the dark,” he says.

From Taking Care of a Hard-on,  Eighteen Things that Arouse to The Condom Chronicles, the book  has an interesting melange of characters similar to those we have come across in our personal lives. “For those who love to be sneaky and adventurous, Eighteen Plus is perfect for late night reads for adults, lonely Metro rides and empty office hours,” adds Apurv.

Talk about Bollywood and the author’s attention is immediately aroused. He says, “I watch and review movies on a regular basis and have reviewed over 500 movies so far. Blogging regularly and interacting with readers on  a regular basis is what inspired me to write a book,” he shares, adding that he is equally passionate about travelling (he has been to all seven continents), sports and liquor.

For this corporate honcho-turned-author, no holiday is complete without a sporty endeavour. He has travelled across the globe for cricket and soccer matches. “We have seen the last four FIFA Soccer World Cups live. And I’ve already got tickets to four matches in the second phase of ticket sales for Brazil 2014. Not just this, I have also been to all the seven continents and once nearly drove to the North Pole,” he reveals.

The author has experimented with the format of the stories. “Sexting: Fast and Furious uses the format of text messages, where a woman leaves a long lost friend hanging after a steamy session of flirting and sexting. The book ends with a five-page ode to breasts, with lines like — ‘What is it about these, These two little hillocks, these mounds that fascinate you so!’ In this section, I have used poetry to get my point across,” he puts forth concluding that he is already working on a sequel to the book.