is a maudlin-riddled line most often echoed by teary-eyed heroes and snarling women. That line got me thinking about the word “had.” It feels so tactile. Possession. Haves. Have Nots. We draw all kinds of lines from “have” and “had.” Sometimes they are racial or socio-economic, with Haves and Have Nots separated by railways or right-and-wrong-sided-roads. Sometimes they carve intangible lines in our hearts. “You have my heart” or “You had me at hello.” The Vishakanya’s Choice sprang from that idea of truly possessing choice and my own emotionally trying experiences. Around the time I started writing The Vishakanya’s Choice, I felt stuck. After graduating college, I peddled my degree in Medieval English and got a job working as a legal assistant in a cold tax law office (read: I scanned documents). All those months spent writing, working and saving money felt fruitless. I could have constructed a tiny galaxy with all my short story and query letter rejections.
