Another lap conquered

Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you’ve got to start young.

—Theodore Roosevelt.

It pretty much describes the attitude of Vidya Mani, who is 87, has penned down her third book, The Last Lap. A weaver of stories, Vidya Mani has written a novel this time. The first two books, The Guide of Destiny, and Of Us and Them, were a collection of short stories. She says, “My daughter and son-in-lawmotivated me to write. In their house, reading is as natural a habit as eating is. I look forward to read the books they gift me. Also, I love to learn new words at this age. It gives me the thrill of learning something new and increasing my vocabulary.” In her own unique way, she has blended the might of elemental forces with humanity in the novel.

Ask her what’s her secret and she says, “I believe my attitude towards life keeps me going. It is not that ups and downs don’t strike a person but the key word here is ‘adjusting’ around them and suddenly life looks all the more beautiful.” In The Last Lap, she treats her characters with benevolence, shaping each one with care and finesse. The exploiter and the exploited are dealt with understanding. While she is not sure of what would be her next subject, she hints at bringing something which would have more of an autobiographical tone to it.