— Hello Purva! So, we are going to talk a lot about you personally and your journey, and I want to start right at the beginning. You live in Dubai now, but you were born and raised in India. How was it?

— I was born in India and lived there until 2012, when I moved to Dubai from New Delhi — that is also when I got married. When we were getting to know each other with my husband, we both thought about where we should move next, and Dubai seemed like the perfect place for both of us. So, we are here!

Talking about my past, I grew up in an extremely loving and intimate environment. My parents have always been super expressive and nurturing — hugging, kissing, and applauding were just what we did all the time. Even today, we have a very active WhatsApp group with my parents and my elder sibling, and we constantly share what is happening in our lives. I grew up at a time when eating out wasn’t very common, and instead, we would have picnics at home. Summer vacations didn’t involve flying to foreign destinations; they were about visiting grandparents, aunts, relatives, and cousins. It was such a warm and close-knit environment, and my parents made sure we celebrated every achievement, no matter how big or small.

When it comes to writing, I didn't always know I wanted to be an author, but I started writing in my diary when I was around four or five years old. Back then, I didn’t know how to spell correctly or form sentences, but I wrote in my diary every evening and continued this habit into my graduation days. My mom still has all those diaries piled up in our home in New Delhi. My parents always encouraged me, and I even have an entry from my early years, around first grade, where I wrote, "When I grow up, I want to be an author." It is really sweet looking back because, even then, I knew I wanted to tell stories and connect with people through them.

My parents always supported my writing, and as a child, I would write them letters and slip them under their door or make little greeting cards with personal messages and leave them under their pillows. I also remember when my sister was leaving for higher education at 18, I created a booklet called "18 Things for an 18-Year-Old" — handmade, with all the DIY touches we loved as kids. Writing has always been a part of me, and though I didn't know that being an author could be a full-time career, I knew I wanted to write.

Even in school, I wrote a little novel in a notebook and shared it with my friends, who would leave their reviews at the back of the notebook. Later, I graduated in Commerce, but I did my post-graduation in Mass Communication, focusing on journalism, public relations, and advertising. I knew I wanted to be in print journalism, so I started my career as a print journalist in India, working for some of the most renowned magazines and newspapers there. Meanwhile, I also earned a Master’s in English while working.

When I moved to Dubai, I was initially just getting familiar with the place and exploring opportunities. During that time, while freelancing, I decided to launch my own digital magazine called "The Indian Trumpet" — a celebration of the colour, culture, and chaos of India. It was my way of channelling my creative energy and telling the stories of Indian expats, and it continues to run today. I also started working as the Associate Editor for Khaleej Times, one of the UAE’s national newspapers and held that position for 6,5 years.

Eventually, I reached a point where I wanted to write for myself beyond writing for publications. That is when I wrote my first book, The Trees Told Me So, which is a collection of short stories. And here I am, still writing, still telling stories.

— Before you realised that you wanted to dedicate your life to writing, did you have any dreams about what you wanted to do as a kid? 

— I think while I was still in school, I was already focused and knew that I wanted to pursue one of three paths. First, I wanted to study criminal law because I was passionate about telling people's stories. Second, I was interested in psychology because I wanted to understand people better. And third, I wanted to be a journalist. By the time I was in grade 12, I had a bit more clarity about my future, and I knew that whatever I chose, it had to involve storytelling.

Looking back, I think that over the past 18 years as a journalist, I have managed to combine all of those interests in some way. When I first started my career, I covered a lot of serious topics — though not necessarily crime-related. I spoke out on many important issues, particularly those involving women's safety, which is a big concern coming from India. Topics like molestation, rape, crimes against women, and even breast cancer were really significant to me, and I wanted to bring attention to them. In that way, I felt I connected with the more serious side of journalism that I had always wanted to be part of.

And while I haven’t formally studied psychology, I think my book delves quite a bit into mental health themes. In some way, I have managed to bring all three of my interests together — whether it is the seriousness of criminal law, understanding human behavior, or telling stories that matter through journalism and my writing.

— You mentioned that tower of diaries at your parents' house. Since you said you started writing from such a young age, like four or five years old, I am curious if there are any particular entries you remember. Maybe you recall the most emotional diary you have ever written. 

— I think there are so many moments captured in my diaries. My dad used to travel a lot for work, and every time he was away, my first line would often be, "I am sad because Papa is not at home." It is one of those recurring feelings I captured in there. And I have recorded so many details, like when my mom cooked something special, when I had an argument with a friend at school, or when I did something good but school didn't go as well as I had hoped.

As I got older, I wrote about high school challenges, those everyday ups and downs. Looking back, everything in those diaries feels so heartwarming but also kind of silly and innocent at the same time. It is funny to read the things I felt were so important back then, and it is such a reminder of how much I valued capturing every small moment of my life.

— What kid were you?

— I think I have always been extremely friendly, so I have always been open to talking to everyone, and that is still very much my nature. Maybe that is part of why I was always interested in journalism — I love listening to people. I would talk to anyone, from a child to someone I would meet in the elevator, including teachers, friends, and even seniors. I am still that way today. I love having conversations and giving my full attention to whoever I am speaking to.

What often happens is that we ask someone, "How are you?" and even before they answer, we are already distracted by our phones or something else. I have always been conscious of that, so whenever I am speaking to someone, I make sure I am giving them my full attention, even if it is just for a couple of minutes. That is something I still do today. I genuinely draw my strength from people’s stories, and I think in a world that is getting busier, noisier, and more chaotic, we need more honest and meaningful conversations.

— Apart from The Indian Trumpet, you also have The Junior Trumpet. And that one is made by… kids, right?

— Junior Trumpet is something I launched in January 2024. I have always worked closely with children, and I strongly believe in nurturing their lives through more reading, writing, and storytelling. I noticed a big gap in the market — there was no publication specifically catered to children — so I launched this digital monthly magazine just for them.

The amazing part is that everything in this magazine is created by children, from cover stories to every article, poem, and illustration. Essentially, it is a magazine by kids for kids. My role is simply to invite children to contribute and get published. We have kids as young as four sending us artwork and contributors all the way up to 18 years old. The magazine covers a range of voices from ages 5 to 18, celebrating young talent.

Though the content is almost entirely by children, we occasionally bring in experts to share advice, like how to make friends at university or tips from a dentist on oral hygiene. But everything else is done by the kids. We even have Junior Trumpet reporters — if there is an event for children in the UAE, we send some of our readers, who we call Junior Trumpet reporters, to cover it. It provides them with a well-rounded experience — they write, report, review, and create artwork.

This platform is all about encouraging creativity, helping them earn school credits, and giving them a lot of confidence. They also learn from each other; for example, if a child writes a great story, others their age can read it and feel inspired to try something similar. It is about celebrating young voices and fostering a sense of community among young creatives.

— That is amazing. And the covers are created by kids, right?

— Yes, all the covers — everyone you see on juniortrumpet.com — are entirely created by children. Everything inside is done by kids, too. And it is not just for kids in the UAE; we actually receive a lot of contributions from the US, the UK, and India. 

— Okay, so now, about your books. The first one that you have written is The Trees Told Me So. Was there any specific reason for writing it?

— The Tree Told Me So is a collection of 11 short stories. All of them are set in India, and, in a nutshell, they revolve around love, life, and loss.

The inspiration for the book was the realization that our lives are so deeply intertwined with trees, even though we often don’t stop to notice. I wanted to write something that would help people realize how trees have touched their lives — not in an activist way, but simply as a storyteller. 

Each of the 11 stories reflects this concept differently. In some stories, the tree itself is the protagonist; in others, the protagonist is someone whose life is deeply connected to a tree. But I am not explicitly preaching about environmentalism — I am not saying "protect trees" or "trees give you oxygen." Instead, the stories are just about people and how their lives intersect with trees in a meaningful way.

For example, there is a vendor who spent his entire life working under a tree, and through the earnings he made there, he managed to raise his entire family. Then there is a bride getting henna on her hands, and that henna comes from a tree. Trees touch our lives in countless ways, even at the end, in Hindu culture, where you are placed on a funeral pyre — a bed of wood from trees.

The book is written with many layers of emotion. Some of the stories are very heartfelt, and some may even make you cry. But by the time you finish, I hope it leaves you with a deep appreciation of how trees are woven into our lives in ways we often overlook.

— There are people who hug trees and believe in their energy. Do you?

— I definitely feel the energy in nature. I know people who have a deep connection with trees, and I also know people who promote tree-hugging as a community activity. While I have never done that as part of a community, I have hugged trees, and every time I am in nature, I feel a deep sense of calm and beauty.

— As a creative, have you ever been at that point of your life where you were without any energy?

Absolutely. I think anyone in a creative field, like you and I, experiences their share of ups and downs. I have always believed that being creative — whether you are a musician, an author, or any other type of artist — is a very solitary job. You spend a lot of time with just yourself, honing your craft. When I am writing a book or even just an article for a newspaper, magazine, or platform, I have to disconnect from everything else. It requires solitude, spending time alone with your thoughts and your laptop, which makes it a challenging and often lonely process.

On top of that, unfortunately, the world still doesn’t value creative work on the same level as other professions. A lot of us creatives are expected to work for exposure or in exchange for collaborations, while other professions — like dentists, plumbers, or teachers — are automatically compensated for their work. Society often doesn’t recognise that we pour our heart and soul into our creations, and it sometimes feels like we are punished for pursuing our passion. The lows are quite frequent.

That is why I have tried to tell stories in every way I can — through podcasts, theatre, and different platforms — so that if someone doesn’t want to read, maybe they can listen to a story or come and watch one. My idea has always been that I am not going to give up; I’ll keep sharing stories in any way I can. There are lots of downsides to being an author — it is certainly not a high-paying job. Royalties are often very small, and if your motivation is purely financial, it is not a sustainable career. You have to be okay with not becoming a bestseller overnight.

What keeps me going, though, is the satisfaction of creating something from nothing — filling a blank page with words, giving life to an idea. That is what motivates me every day. Of course, I get tired, and I get overwhelmed by failures. We all face a lot of rejections from publishers, and in the age of social media, it is so easy to feel discouraged. You might see someone’s shaky, unpolished video going viral and think, "I spent a year writing my book, and it is still not reaching people." But ultimately, you have to have a conversation with yourself about why you are doing what you are doing. Once you understand that, you’ll find happiness, and you’ll stop comparing your journey to others.

There are a lot of ups and downs in any field, but especially in creative work.

— Have you ever had a period when you didn’t want to write at all?

— I have had many such moments, but one that comes to mind right away is my website, theindiantrumpet.com. My magazine's website got hacked — not just once, but twice. I lost everything I had created from July 2013 until last year. We tried everything, but it was a technical failure beyond our control. It happened recently, and while it was incredibly frustrating, I reminded myself that it was a technical issue — something I couldn't do anything about. We tried our best, but these things happen. Hackers exist, and they do their job, too, unfortunately. 

I lost everything, and it was definitely a tough time, but I was determined not to give up. We rebuilt everything from scratch, and within a few months, we were back up and running.

Another setback that stands out was with my third book, She. It was doing phenomenally well, and I was flooded with reviews on Amazon. At one point, it was even in the top ten of its category. Then Amazon had a technical glitch, and I lost over 200 reviews, along with photos from readers who had uploaded images of the book. Losing all of that meant losing the momentum, and once you lose that standing on Amazon, it is like starting from scratch. Reviews began coming in again, but it was definitely a setback.

There have been multiple moments like this, but I keep pushing myself. I am very stubborn — I don’t give up easily. Of course, these things bring me down, but I believe that if you keep doing your work the way you want, eventually, someone will notice. 

— And could you explain the success of She?

— This book came out at an interesting time. It was released almost during the pandemic, and just before that, I had written my second book, an ebook called It Was the Year 2020. It Was the Year 2020 was released only as a digital book because, at the time, traditional publishing was pretty much at a standstill due to the pandemic. I wanted to capture what we were all feeling at that moment and chose to release it as a fragmentary novel — a very short read. It was more of a personal project, as I wanted to remember how we felt about how the pandemic changed our perceptions because public memory is short. We often forget all the suffering and how humanity came together to help each other, and then we just move on to the next thing — that is just how life goes.

After that, I felt like I wanted to create something cheerful, something humorous, which isn't typically my style of writing. I wanted to bring some positivity into the world, and that is how She was born. She is a celebration of what it means to be a woman. It is not about male-bashing or extreme feminism. In fact, the tagline of the book says, “Among the many things I don’t understand, most of them are feminine.” It is a lighthearted celebration of who we are, touching on everything from bras and periods to boyfriends, marriage, careers, and motherhood — all captured in a very honest, friendly, and slightly humorous way.

The book is also interactive — it is written in a workbook style because I want every woman to engage with it. We never stop being women, so I left the last chapter of the book empty, titled "To Be Continued: Over to You". What has been really beautiful is that many women who read the book started gifting it to their girlfriends, sisters, and female colleagues. They even started filling in the last chapter and sending it back to me. It is everyone’s journey, and there are universal threads that connect all of us as women.

I wanted to write something that wasn’t about blaming, wasn’t about saying, “You had it easy; we had it tough.” I didn’t want to divide the world further by saying “he vs. she” or by focusing on gender differences. The world is divided enough, and I wanted to create something inclusive. That is the spirit behind She — it is a really fun book.

Interestingly, the book has been translated into seven languages — Turkish, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and more — which I found fascinating because it proves that, as women, regardless of where we come from, there are certain experiences that tie us all together. Now, women around the world are reading it in their own languages.

— Okay, let's use our imagination. If you could describe a woman as a city, what city would she be?

— Oh my God, that is a tough question, and honestly, it is the first time someone has asked me this! I would say I identify a lot with France as a country. If I had to pick a specific place, it would be a city in France — most likely Dijon. It is a truly charming place. It feels like something out of a fairytale — it is bold, strong, yet incredibly beautiful. When I visited for the first time, I remember thinking, “I want to live here.” So, definitely, Dijon.

One more place that resonates with me is a town in Croatia called Porec. It is another place where I felt an incredible sense of peace. There was something warm and relatable about it, and I think that is how many women are — strong but warm. So, these two places definitely stand out to me: Dijon and Porec.

— And here is another one for our imagination: if you could compare a woman to a natural phenomenon, what would she be? Maybe leaves falling from trees or a river? Whatever comes to mind?

— You know what just came to mind — lightning. Not just any lightning, because it is often harsh and destructive. But I think of it as that powerful energy a woman radiates when she is truly confident in herself. When she knows that her competition isn’t with other women — instead, her role is to help fix every other woman's crown and to work together — that is the real effect I am talking about. It is the strength that comes from knowing we are in this together, and that is where true power lies.

— Okay, and when you hear the word “woman,” what do you imagine first?

— I imagine calmness. I picture something like floating — maybe a leaf or a petal, just gently drifting along.

— The next book I want to discuss (which you have already mentioned) is It Was the Year 2020. One thing that caught my attention, and I wanted to understand, is the cover. Why is it designed like a notebook?

— When I was writing it, I designed the cover myself because, at the time, it was very hard to get in touch with designers, and publishing was at a standstill. I felt it was important to create something that captured the essence of that moment — of the times we lived through. So, I just used a plain, regular notebook cover because it is all about recording what was and how the pandemic changed everything.

— And what was your year 2020?

— My year 2020 was tough, but I am extremely grateful because my friends, family, and all my loved ones stayed safe. We had our challenges, but we didn't suffer the way many others around the world did. No lives were lost in my circle. Yes, we faced financial difficulties and other hardships, but we managed to get through it together.

While it was tough in so many ways, it was even harder to comprehend what was happening all around us. But being in Dubai, in the UAE, I felt fortunate. The government did everything possible to make sure we were safe. The level of care — from vaccines to sanitising the roads, flexibility at work, availability of groceries right at our doorstep—was incredible. The way everyone came together under strong leadership made us feel protected. I honestly don't think many places around the world had governments looking after them the way we were looked after here. I am so grateful that this is where I was during that time.

— Now, your latest work is #icouldhavebeenaninstapost. What will we find inside?

— Essentially, Instagram posts! The book is designed so that each page looks like an Instagram post — you’ll see a heart, a share icon, and other familiar elements.

The book was written for several reasons. First, it is for the generation that is losing the habit of reading — people with shorter attention spans who are more accustomed to "snack-sized" content. So, it is written in short, Instagram-like captions to encourage people to start reading again, even if it is in small bits.

Secondly, it is a kind of time capsule. Social media platforms rise and fall, and one day Instagram will fade, just like other platforms have. This book is a reminder of an era when we were communicating and sharing our lives on public platforms in this way.

And third, it is a way of highlighting that what we see on Instagram is only a fragment of reality. Around 80 to 90% of Instagram is filled with happy moments — photos of us enjoying drinks with friends, on vacations, or eating fancy breakfasts. We start to believe that life is always like that. As you scroll, you think, "Everyone's life is so perfect," but that is not the whole truth. Instagram doesn’t show the vulnerable moments, the times when we are alone with our thoughts. Why aren’t we expressing those moments the way we express the happy ones?

That is why the book is called #icouldhavebeenaninstapost. It captures the things that could have been shared but weren’t because of the pressure to always present ourselves as perfect and to only share the good moments. We forget that life is a mix of black, white, and grey.

When you flip through the book, it is a reminder that it is okay to be down, to be vulnerable, and to learn from each other’s stories. In recent years, "Instagram therapy" has become a thing — people are starting to share these vulnerable moments online, but I don't think there has ever been a book that is fully designed like an Instagram feed, from cover to cover, capturing both the good and the not-so-good moments in such a visual and direct way.

— What are you working on now? 

— Right now, I am focusing primarily on two platforms: The Indian Trumpet and The Junior Trumpet. We also have Stories Over Art. Since I have been so deeply involved with the art and culture scene here in the UAE, I want to keep telling those stories and continue connecting with people from all different creative fields — whether it is theatre, photography, comedy, painting, or cultural activities. That is why I recently launched storiesoverart.com, another online publication where I can do just that.

Also, I have ideas for the next books. One idea is a book celebrating Dubai, reflecting on my experience living here. It’ll be a collection of poetry, capturing Dubai through the eyes of a non-tourist — someone who has called this place home for 13 years. I want to share what it feels like to look at the Burj Khalifa, to talk about the quirks of people living in Dubai, the language we use, the places we frequent, and the spots we want visitors to see.

It is going to be poetic, a very personal take on Dubai. I hope to start pushing this project forward once my current book reaches more people and touches more hearts.

— You mentioned during our latest conversation that you read, if I am not mistaken, 52 books a year, right?

— Yes! I read one book a week. Now, I am not saying they are all thick books — sometimes I cheat and go for the shorter ones. But I do manage to read 52 books every year, and I have been doing this for about three years now. At the start of each year, I actually release a list of all the books I have read, and throughout the year, I share reviews on my social media, like Instagram.

I think it started because I was getting frustrated with myself for watching too much Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar — just a lot of streaming. While I enjoyed it, as a creative person, I love absorbing content in all forms — whether it is music, movies, or series. But eventually, I reached a point where I felt like I needed a break from it all.

When I committed myself to reading more, it felt a bit like going through the seven stages of grief — moving away from binge-watching Netflix to focusing on books. It wasn’t easy at first. I had to be really disciplined and, honestly, quite harsh with myself. I even wrote an article about the process because so many people were asking me how I managed it. And it is true — at first, it wasn’t all that enjoyable, but I stuck with it, and eventually, it just became a habit.