Rita Shukla in a lighter mood at her home in Ranchi. Picture by Hardeep Singh

One does not really know what pains noted writer Rita Shukla?s father must have taken to build up his impressive library, the duty of keeping which dusted, fell on young Rita. Considering it stacked nearly 2 lakh books, a lot of effort and love must have gone in putting it together over the years.

Every bit of which has definitely paid off. Young Rita must have lingered over them for hours as she sorted and dusted them, silently falling in love with them, though still perhaps not knowing that she would go on to be an acclaimed writer herself one day.

That after the publication of her first work Swarn Daan, there would be no looking back and her works, which include over 200 short stories, poems, novels, features, thought provoking essays, would go on to be published in major front-ranking newspapers, magazines, periodicals and publishing houses throughout the country.

Not just that, many of her stories have been translated and published in many Indian and foreign languages as well. An incident that really touched and reinforced again to her the power of the written word was when a young Spanish boy, Albaru, not only wrote to her about her work, but also personally approached her with a desire of translating her works to Spanish.

It?s a talent which actually begun to show quite early and even when she was doing her graduation, it didn?t go unrecognised. Eminent scholar Acharya Vishwanath Prasad Mishra had once after checking her answer papers not just given her excellent remarks on her answer sheets, but also told her he had not checked such well-written answers.

Today, if she cherishes such moments of life, it?s because she has worked hard to reach them. Overcome many a traditional barrier to be the success story she is today, as not just the noted writer she is, but also director, department of journalism and mass communication, and head of department of Hindi, Ranchi University.

Even though brought up in a progressive and highly educated family, it was essentially a very conservative world around her. She could have succumbed to it, like most do, and simply given up her studies and dreams after her marriage. On the contrary, she strove as hard as ever to maintain her brilliant academic record, as well as looked after her young sister and brother-in-law at home.

Nurturing both her home and profession with equal responsibility.

Beginning her bright educational career within the precincts of her ancestral home in Arrah, she later went on to break the then conservative social tradition and joined the Magadh University and graduated with Hindi honours.

Though, before she completed it, she got married. That could hardly put a break to her scholastic aspirations. Completing her graduation, she post graduated with a first class and was awarded gold medals at both the levels. Even though it all had to be done privately, without the advantage of being able to attend class lectures. From the same university, she did her Ph.D as well.

Her parents stood beside her as pillars of support. Sometimes, she would work as many as 18 hours a day. Though her dreams had been different, she learnt to adjust to changed circumstances.

?I aspired to become an IAS officer and was also interested in journalism but due to family responsibilities, after marriage I continued my studies in general stream,? she says. It is this ability to discipline herself to changes in life that has stood her in good steed. Discipline and hard work are traits she has never let go, as evident from the fact she goes to sleep at one and still gets up at five!

A strict vegetarian, and a devotee of goddess Durga, her main interests remains reading and writing. Television serials with all their never-ending sagas do not charm her as she feels the messages they send out are not positive.

Secular to the core, a value instilled right from childhood by the example of her grandfather looking after an orphan Muslim boy, in spite of protests from members of the Brahmin community, she has good relations with people of all faiths.

With her husband, a veterinary doctor, and her daughters, giving her full support, she has always felt at liberty to pursue her interests and goals.

Whether it?s teaching her students, who she thinks are her greatest assets, or snuggling up with some of her favourite writers, which include Munshi Premchand, Mahadevi Verma, Sumitranand Pant and Baba Nagarjuna.

Happy and at peace with the power words can weave.

Amrita Pritam & Manish Mishra