Sex is still considered a taboo in India, with some scorning or even filing charges of obscenity if someone were to explore that topic further. Sharada Vijay, however, explores sex, body, mind, and much more through her writing, where nothing stops her. Not even society’s often dissuasion. “By nature, I’m a very sensuous woman. I understand my sensuality, my body, I understand what my body and my mind wants. A lot of people think that erotica is all about sex. But it actually has little to do with sex and more about the mind and how you frame the entire aspect of the physical nature in your mind,” she says. Writing to her flowed in naturally, albeit transitioning towards it after a rather tumultuous time. “My hobbies liberated into art. I had an abusive relationship and a bad failed marriage. I was pushed to a corner where there wasn’t much to look upon in life. That’s when writing came in the first place. Writing started, then blogs, then articles on free will and my opinions. Slowly I realised that poetry is a form of writing that came naturally to me,” she adds.
Her work, in a lot of ways, releases a sense of liberation. She says, “I read a lot of books on sensuality such as Kamala Das’, Rosalyn D’Mello’s etc. I write about masturbation or threesome or sex, it helps me liberate myself and my body and connects my mind and body.”
There have been times where her words have even helped couples to come closer, in mind, body and soul. And there have been times when people would forget that she’s a writer and not a sexologist. “ I have had men send images of their genitalia on my inbox. I’ve had men ask what position they should be in to have babies. I’ve told them that I’m not a sexologist!”
Her partner, her family and friends have been fairly supportive of this, wherein they even give suggestions on what she could write about next. “My husband asks me why I write about men and women, when I can write about a romantic story between two men. My family, too, are pretty open about my work that way,” she says.
She used to have a cushy job at big companies in the past, but writing was something she was meant to do. Right now, she manages to pursue her passion in some form of the other. By day, she’s a senior copywriter for an ad firm. She has another book coming out too, next year, and assures that she’ll be writing for a long time now.
A pointer she has for those women who would really like to explore a career that many don’t have the courage to – Always have a fallback option. “First thing, a lot of people say they want to quit their jobs and chase their passions. While the idea sounds lovely, you shouldn’t unless you have your finances in place. Passion is all good but you have bills to pay. There are a lot of young people who quit their jobs for their passion but it doesn’t feed them. And they are stranded there and slowly lose their passion midway. It becomes a hobby and subsequently die out. Passion can wait. I’m 36 and I started late. Life can wait, as long as you’ve sorted your things out.”
