Today, we sit with one of the most dynamic literary voices of our time—Akshay S Sharma. A poet and a novelist, Akshay has carved a space for himself in the hearts of readers with his poignant expressions, emotionally rich narratives, and a voice that seems to speak directly to the soul. Born on July 16, 1993, in Dehradun, Akshay first captured attention with his heartfelt poetry collection Dastak, followed by his deeply moving debut novel One Eastern Morning. Beyond the written word, he also hosts a podcast where he delves into themes of love, identity, silence, memory, and the many untold stories that reside within us.
His world is delicate yet powerful, familiar yet distant—much like a letter left unread on a rainy morning. Let’s step into that world.
Q: Where do you find inspiration to write?
A:
For me, writing is like entering a very safe and silent room inside myself. It’s like standing in the middle of a snowfall—everything slows down, and suddenly, I can hear my thoughts clearly. I write to understand myself better. It’s the only place where I don’t worry about the gains or the losses. The blank page becomes a mirror where I can face myself without hesitation. Writing, for me, is like breathing underwater—I shouldn’t be able to, but somehow I do, and in that, I survive.
Q: In your stories, you often mention the flower Raat Rani. What does it symbolize for you?
A:
Raat Rani is more than a flower to me. It’s a space. A silence. A place I return to late at night where I can feel myself without any distractions. Its fragrance is memory. It’s that one familiar scent in an unfamiliar room that reminds you of who you were before the world changed you. It is where I rest, reflect, and quietly become.
Q: Love is a recurring theme in your poems and stories. What does love mean to you?
A:
To me, love is about becoming the best version of yourself without even trying. It’s not just a feeling; it’s a gentle evolution. You begin to think about someone more than you think of yourself, and in that shift, something sacred happens. You upgrade not just your thoughts, but your spirit. Love is the bridge between who you are and who you could be, if you were truly seen.
Q: Who is Raat Rani to you?
A:
Raat Rani, to me, is a girl named Tannu. She is not just a presence; she is poetry with a pulse. Like the flower, she blooms in silence and leaves her fragrance long after she’s gone. Her existence in my life is like a gentle monsoon on a parched soul. With her, the nights are not empty—they are filled with stories I want to tell again and again. She is the metaphor I keep returning to, unknowingly, every time I write.
Q: How did you realize you had fallen in love?
A:
It was like standing at the shore for years, watching waves come and go, never stepping in. Then one evening, without warning, the tide touched my feet and whispered her name—Tannu.
I didn’t fall in love. I remembered it.
As if some part of me already knew her, from another life, another poem.
Like finding a forgotten letter in a coat you haven’t worn in years—and it still smells of rain and jasmine.
She wasn’t a storm. She was the calm after it.
The kind of silence that doesn’t make you uneasy, but makes you feel heard.
With her, it wasn’t fireworks—it was a soft lantern in a dark room that made everything finally visible.
I didn’t fall in love.
I simply walked into a garden I had been planting unknowingly all my life
And found her sitting there, as if she had always belonged.
Q: Your next book, Ek Din, is about to be released. What would you like to say about it?
A:
Ek Din is a conversation between longing and memory. It is not just a book; it’s a map of unspoken moments and silent heartbreaks. In it, I’ve tried to explore how one day—just one ordinary day—can carry the weight of a lifetime. It’s about a boy who waits not just for someone else, but for himself, for clarity, for closure, for courage. This book is deeply personal. It speaks of what we never say, but always feel. Every chapter is a window into the kind of silence that changes you forever.
Q: Tell us about your upcoming book and the story it holds.
A:
Ek Din is a story of a woman who, by the age of twenty-seven, has already lost almost everything—her father, her innocence, and the quiet hopes of childhood. As she walks through the shadows of grief, she begins to feel the faint light of love again. But this love, too, is complex—because the man she is drawn to, Veer, is a distant writer, broken in silence, living through his own wounds.
This novel is not just about two people. It is about that invisible thread between life and death, where even a name or a voice can hold your hand through the darkest hours. Tannu and Veer never meet, yet they become a part of each other—like the river and the moonlight, like wind and prayer.
Ek Din is a tale of love that rises from the lap of death, of silence that breathes, and of healing that asks for nothing but presence.
Q: Do you think pain is necessary for a writer?
A:
Not necessary, but inevitable. Pain refines your language. It teaches you the difference between writing and bleeding on the page. A writer doesn’t always write from hurt, but even joy feels deeper when you know what sorrow tastes like. Pain gives words gravity.
Q: What is the one thing you want readers to feel after reading your work?
A:
I want them to feel seen. That’s it. If even one line makes someone pause and say, “Yes, that’s exactly how I feel,” then I’ve done my job. Literature, at its core, is not about storytelling. It’s about soul-telling.
Akshay S Sharma doesn’t just write stories—he creates safe spaces in the form of words. In a world full of noise, his voice is a whisper that echoes long after it’s heard.
