Exploring love, longing, and the quiet power of self-discovery

Author, restaurateur, and philanthropist Pooja Misra Khaitan W, based in Hyderabad, is known not just for her eloquent writing but also for her passionate work in consumer rights and community service. Having led the Consumer Online Foundation’s complaints redressal team for over a decade and earned national recognition as chairperson of Ladies Circle 17, Pooja now makes her literary debut with ‘The First Connect’. A romantic at heart with a flair for introspection, she shares insights on her novel, her journey, and what it means to truly come home to yourself.

‘The First Connect’ opens with a powerful premise—what inspired you to explore the emotional terrain of a first love reappearing after eighteen years?

Pooja: The idea wasn’t something I had planned—it found me. In February 2023, I was swimming when Jubin Nautiyal’s ‘Humnava’ Mere played in the background. The haunting depth of his voice, especially the line “Maine usey kyun kho diya?” (“Why did I lose her?”), struck a deep chord.

As someone who reflects deeply on human emotions, I began wondering: Why does love, despite so much longing, sometimes remain unfulfilled? Is it fate, timing, or a failure to fight hard enough?

I thought of my own story. I’ve known my husband since school. The more I pulled away, the more he pursued me—until we eventually married. In contrast, I’ve seen friends navigate unrequited love. That contrast made me ask: ‘What if a past love reappears after many years?’ How would someone navigate that—especially when life has moved on, but something inside you hasn’t?

That thought stayed with me. I went home and began writing. ‘The First Connect’ was born from that emotional spark.

Interview Excerpt:

The novel touches not only on romantic love but also self-discovery and identity. What message did you hope readers would take away about personal growth?

At its heart, the novel is about finding your way back to yourself. Through the protagonist, we witness someone grappling with emotional vulnerability and self-worth. She realises how easily she can be swayed when emotionally manipulated—yet, she must do what she has to do.

Personal growth often begins in the quietest moments—when you finally stop running from your own truth. That’s the message I want readers to take away: the quiet power of self-awareness, the importance of listening to that persistent inner voice—not the heart, not the mind, but the soul. Our deepest wisdom resides in the soul. Only it knows who we truly are, and it is that voice that ultimately leads us home.

Your journey is your own. Your soul has a mission. Honour it. Follow it. Fulfil it—whatever it takes.

As someone with a background in economics, consumer rights, and editorial work, whatinspired your shift into fiction writing—especially in the romance genre?

Economics was an academic path. My work in consumer rights and editorial roles was a way to honour my father’s legacy—he’s a passionate consumer activist, and I was proud to support his mission.

But at heart, I’ve always been a hopeless romantic. I wrote light poetry as a child and gravitated toward romantic verse in college. So, if I were ever to write a book, there was never any doubt: it had to be romance. There was no deliberate “shift” into the genre. It felt more like a return to what had always lived inside me.

As for fiction—life itself is a blend of reality and imagination. With the kind of creativity I carry, fiction felt like the perfect space to let it run free.

Your prose has been described as poetic and emotionally raw. How do you approach writing scenes of vulnerability without tipping into melodrama?

For me, the key is emotional honesty. I don’t try to dramatise vulnerable moments—I try to feel them. I step into my character’s skin and ask: ‘What would I feel if I were in this situation?’

Real emotions don’t always scream—they often whisper. And I trust the reader to hear that whisper. My love for poetry helps, too. Poetry has taught me that you don’t need many words to make someone feel deeply—just the right ones.

What was the most challenging scene for you to write in this book—and why?

There wasn’t just one—several scenes challenged me emotionally and creatively. The ones layered with inner conflict took the most time, because I had to feel what my characters were experiencing before I could translate that onto the page.

One such scene was Mouni’s turmoil when Karan left for the student exchange program—her silence, her restraint, the pain she couldn’t express. Another was Kareena’s near-intimate moment with Karan. I had to pause and really ask: ‘What is she feeling?’ Desire, guilt, longing, or confusion? It wasn’t easy to pin down.

And then there was Vikram’s infidelity. Writing the build-up to that truly tested me. I got so immersed, it almost felt like it was happening to me. These scenes weren’t just difficult technically—they required emotional truth and patience. I had to live them a little before I could let my characters live them.

Do you see yourself continuing to write in the romance genre, or are there other themes and genres you’d like to explore next?

I absolutely see myself continuing in the romance genre. That’s where my essence lies. But to me, romance is more than love between two people—it’s a mirror through which we understand ourselves.

That said, I’d like to evolve within the genre—perhaps explore romance through a reflective, self-help lens. I want to use romantic narratives to explore the quiet, often unspoken truths of a woman’s emotional journey. There’s so much depth, nuance, and wisdom in the way women experience love, loss, identity, and self-worth. And I’d like to give voice to that.