March Character Interview
Patricia Parrington ~ March 15, 2024
Hello my lovely readers and fellow book-lovers! For those of you who are new here, I, your strongly fragranced host, Patricia Parrington, have the pleasure of interviewing characters from books all over the world.
Today we have here with us Anya Chopra from the book The Way Home by Shalini Mullick. Shalini is an author and a practicing pathologist. An introvert who enjoys meeting people, she loves both the magic of the sunset and the promise of the sunrise.
Meet Anya
[Patricia moves over a fluffy orange pillow, clasps her hands in her lap, then smiles at the woman settling onto a sky blue sofa opposite her.]
Welcome to Fable Features! Sorry about the very strong scent of lavender. My dragon, Scribblemore, knocked over a vial of perfume.
[Patricia folds her hands on her lap.]
What’s your favorite smell?
The smell of paranthas which are layered or stuffed flat breads, cooked by my grandmother whom we lovingly call Beeji. The smell of the oil used to make them crisp reaches me from the kitchen and I can already taste my favorite breakfast!!
[The foodie that Anya is, she is already smacking her lips.]
Mm that does sound good!
What would you say is your best physical feature?
[Anya pushes her frizzy hair back into her high ponytail and replies,]
My height. At five feet seven inches, I am taller than most of my friends. I can carry off all fashion styles and looks because of my height—and I get to wear comfortable shoes without heels!!
Being tall certainly has its perks! You mention fashion styles—is there a certain fashion of clothing you like to wear?
Yes, whenever I am not in my scrubs, I love wearing denims—they are like my second skin. My favorites are the wide leg ones which flare at the ankle. And for the winters, a long trench coat looks fab!!
[Patricia claps her hands together.]
A trench coat? Yes! When I was little, I used to beg my mom to let me get one.
[She leans back and cocks her head.]
In emergency situations, how do you react?
I take charge. After all, I am an emergency physician. I assess what needs to be done and quickly get down to doing it without slipping into panic mode.
Wow, that’s a very cool—and needed—role. How’d you end up becoming an emergency physician?
My big sister, Zoya, always wanted to become a doctor. And all I ever wanted was to do what Zoya did!! So, when she joined medical school and started her training, I decided to follow in her footsteps. And once I joined medical school (the same one where Zoya had trained) I loved the adrenaline rush that the action of the ER gave me. It is such a demanding and challenging job, and I love a challenge!!
[Patricia nods, impressed.]
I’ve heard stories about how demanding such a job can be. I love that you enjoy the work!
Where did you learn most of your skills and abilities?
My elder sister Zoya was my north star—she gave me direction. She was also my lighthouse where I could put down my anchor when I was lost. I learnt everything from her
[Anya’s voices trembles as she struggles to stop her tears from escaping.]
[Patricia picks up a tissue box from a side table and quietly leans forward to hand it to Anya.]
You sound close to her, and that’s a very precious thing. Let’s go onto our next question.
Do you have any enemies right now?
The pain of losing my dear sister Zoya which I carry in my heart feels like my biggest enemy.
[Patricia nods.]
I can’t imagine what you must be feeling. Losing a loved one is always difficult and life just isn’t quite the same afterward, you know?
[Patricia smiles gently.]
Let’s move onto something a bit more light-hearted. What’s something you’ve never tried before?
[Anya’s face lights up.]
I never imagined shapes and patterns in clouds. And I didn’t think it was possible to find these, but that’s what my new friend Neel does all the time. From puppy to pancakes, he lets his imagination run wild when he is looking at clouds. I think it’s super cute!
That sounds like so much fun! I’ll have to take Scribblemore to the park sometime and look for shapes in the clouds.
What was the situation where you laughed the hardest you ever have?
When Neel, Roy, and I were hanging out in Goa, and Roy pretended to be a tourist guide. It was hilarious. Roy does such cool impressions.
[Patricia smiles.]
Sounds like you have some amazing friends! It’s good to have people you can laugh with together. How’d you meet Neel and Roy?
I had joined a new job in the beautiful coastal state of Goa. I bumped into Neel in the cafeteria where we had fritters together. Then he showed me around the campus, and of course, he spoke about the clouds and patterns too!! We started hanging out together. Roy, well, that was another story altogether!! I didn’t like him at all when I met him for the first time—he seemed stuck up with those fancy shoes of his!!
But then, the game of fussball we played made me rethink—he was actually quite cool and fun to be with!! The three of us became great friends and started exploring the city together.
I love hearing about how you met!
[Patricia glances at her wrist.]
Looks like we have time for one last question. If you had to tell someone one piece of advice, what would that be?
Always have a second helping of dessert. Always.
[Patricia laughs.]
Great advice! You can never go wrong with a second helping of dessert.
[She stands.]
Well thank you so much, Anya, for coming out today! I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you.
End of interview.
Want to Read More?
Anya’s author, Shalini Mullick, can be found at her website, on X/Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. The Way Home will be launching soon, but until then check out her other title, Stars from the Borderless Sea!
Author, Shalini Mullick
See Ya Next Month
Aaand that's all the time we have today. Thank you, readers, for coming. And thank you, Anya, for letting us get to know you! See y'all next month, and until then stay outta trouble and keep writing!
If you would like to submit a character to be interviewed for a future issue of Fable Features, please send an email to linnaekconkel@gmail.com with the subject line: Fable Features.
Please note that erotica and content with excessive vulgar language will not be accepted.
If you have questions you'd like Patricia Parrington to ask in a future interview, please submit them to linnaekconkel@gmail.com with the subject line: Interview Questions.
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