What would be the memories of life in the 90s without thinking about the little things like dolls, sweets sold on rickety carts outside schools, paper boats in the rainy season and watching six songs from Chitrahaar in between 20 advertisements. Author Neha Bansal has compiled all these in her new book Six of Cups.
Reflecting on her past experiences, the IAS officer evokes vivid and everlasting memories in her poems. “This book is a museum of memories,” Bansal says about her second book of poems. “The smaller the world gets, the more complex life becomes. It is ironic that despite better global connectivity, we are drifting further away from each other… I miss simpler times when friends were few but stood by us through thick and thin, when festivals – even small and regional ones – were celebrated with much fanfare. These moments that define who we are today inspired me to write this book.”
Born and brought up in Haryana, the 42-year-old pursued a master’s degree in literature and thought she would keep teaching as her Plan B if she did not succeed in the civil services. “I have always loved literature and poetry. Following the principle of ikigai, I have learnt to put the two together – meeting people through your services teaches you a lot about life, and there is poetry in all our experiences. The feeling of service to the country is also a poetic idea.”
Recalling that her first book, Herstory (2022), “took many years” to write, Bansal reflects on the difference in the process of writing her two books. “It took me only three-four months to write this one because it came easily… I chose the title, Six of Cups because I have always been interested in all kinds of divination. In college, I learned about runes, I Ching, and tarot readings. The Six of Cups is a card I often came across; it reflects a sense of nostalgia which is also the overall theme of my book. All the 50 poems in the book reflect a longing for something beautiful. Though many things remain, one can only yearn for many. It is a sense of hirath, like the love of grandparents.”
Providing her own perspective to the readers, the author says, “All the poems are based on personal experience. The difference is that some poems reflect universal nostalgia like spending nights with cousins, telling scary stories, or eating delicious sweets during festivals, which were rare then but have become plentiful now. While some other poems reflect my unique experiences, like our stay in Car Nicobar (Andaman and Nicobar Islands), travelling to Chandigarh with my son after two decades and preparing for the civil services. It is also a celebration of culinary science, recipes and crafts lost to time.”
Bansal spoke about how “old memories” play a key role in rejuvenating one in a fast-paced life, “Even when there is a lot of turmoil, I go back to images from my past and they bring me joy. Old memories remind you to slow down and enjoy every moment. Memories of simpler times keep one sane in an increasingly complex world and make you feel rooted in a rootless place. I want my readers to slow down and enjoy the moment.”