National Authors’ Day Special: Harshita Gupta a.k.a Soharshi On Her Debut Novel ‘Unloved’

Dealing with heartbreak, learning to let go and trying to move on has got to be one of the toughest feelings to endure. It’s never easy and is a long, gradual process. Many people struggle to heal or aren’t aware of how to. Harshita Gupta a.k.a Soharshi is here to help YOU with her debut novel ‘Unloved: The Art Of Moving On’.

In her book, Harshita Gupta shared her raw and relatable journey of navigating through love and loss. This isn’t just another self-help book; it’s a lifeline for anyone drowning in the aftermath of a breakup. With a uniquely Indian perspective, Harshita delivers practical advice, uplifting insights, and actionable tips to help readers rebuild their lives by conquering heartbreak.

Also Read: Digital Sensation Harshita Gupta Announces Her New Debut Book: “Unloved: Art of Moving On”

This National Authors’ Day, we spoke to Harshita Gupta to learn what went into the making of her debut novel which is now a national bestseller. Read on to know about her detailed insights:

What inspired you to write your debut book ‘Unloved: The Art of Moving On,’ and choose this theme of love and heartbreak?

My own story and the people around me inspired me to write this book because I’ve seen people giving up on love after a major heartbreak. My friends have come and told me that, ‘Harshita, I can’t love again.‘ I have been there in my life too who gave up on love once because of a bad heartbreak. I feel it’s always the person who is wrong and not love as a feeling.

I still believe that love is the most beautiful feeling in the world. But it took me some good years to heal from what I went through. And going from that feeling of ‘f*ck love, love can’t happen again and this and that‘ to saying that ‘love is one of the most beautiful feelings in the world and nobody should give up on it‘ – I think it’s a journey. Healing after a heartbreak is a journey which most people don’t realize.

I know there’s a lot of conversation that’s happening now around healing and how to move on in life but still a major chunk of the country doesn’t know what healing is after a heartbreak. I’ve penned down my healing journey to tell people it’s not a one-day thing. It’s not a button that you can just switch off and switch on another day that ‘Oh my heart is well I can love again.‘ No, it’s a journey, and it’s a very chaotic journey. So I just wanted to pen that down and make people feel that they’re not alone in the heartbreak.

And I feel if I had this book or guide available in the market when my heart broke, it would have been very, very helpful. A lot of people used to tell me that it’s not very easy to come out of that situation or to be optimistic and happy again in life.

I believe that to an extent now because I’ve seen so many people giving up on love and just not having the courage to love again. I feel that loving from a broken heart is a strength. And I want everybody to choose strength and heal their heart if ever they go through a heartbreak. So this book is just a little guide – you can say light at the end of the dark tunnel.

Harshita, could you tell us about your writing process? How did you approach writing such a personal and raw narrative?

I started writing this book while preparing for my wedding. Last year in January, I wrote a draft because a lot of people used to tell me that the way you have come out of the situation of what happened to you is not everybody’s cup of tea, it’s not easy, and things like that. I thought they were just saying it to push me but they were actually serious which I felt many years later when I see people stuck in the same situation for years because they can’t move on or don’t know how to.

After a breakup you become so delusional and directionless, you feel that it’s the end of the world. Jaise pehle roz good morning-good night ho rahi thi woh ab hai hi nahi, then what to do now? I think those everyday small connections of yours, whether it’s sharing personal achievements or something good that’s happened in the day, you have to call this person and tell, them that this happened and they become equally excited about it. It’s all about that. You lose that.

Also, I realized that people are still stuck in the same loop and it is not easy to move on. You really need to be mentally strong is what I have figured out in the end. But there are certain ways and steps that I have used in my life to move on. So I can help people by telling them that, listen, I have done this. This is my journey. If you can take anything out of it, please do that. Because I know how dark and how sad that place is wherein you’re not able to move on and you’re constantly waiting for that one text to come on your phone.

We don’t like getting hurt. When you fall, it’s not in your hands. But healing that hurt is totally in our hands. So the wound that we got in our hearts was not in our control. Whatever the reason was. But to heal your heart is a choice. And I want people to make it.

How long did it take you to write ‘Unloved’? Were there any parts of the book that were especially challenging to put into words?

It took me around two years to complete this book that I’ve been writing this since last year January. I wrote a draft and then pitched it to ‘Penguin.’ I was writing ‘Unloved’ while I was preparing for my wedding so to write this I had to revisit my past which was not very great because a few things happened which really broke me. Toh voh thoda clash tha because it’s a breakup book.

And while you’re preparing for your wedding, you’re in that fun zone – shopping, decor, mood board, styling, lehengas, jewellery and all of that. I missed all of this because I was writing a book on heartbreak! So I think revisiting those old pieces of my life was challenging. Writing the first prologue and second & third chapters was a little tough for me.

Aksar aisa hota tha ki I would tell Shrey ki I did not even have a good day because arre yaar woh flashbacks. Because I revisited that whole situation which was obviously one of the saddest parts of my life. That was something I really didn’t like doing.

Landing ‘Penguin’ as a publisher is a huge milestone for any debut author. How did you go about getting ‘Unloved’ published by them?

It’s a huge thing for me and I’m super super grateful for whatever happened this year with ‘Penguin.’ Getting ‘Unloved‘ published by them was actually a simple process. I think every writer goes through this process.

Last January I made a draft & got in touch with someone at Penguin. I said I had an idea, and then they asked me to write a draft sample chapter, & a vocab about what all is going to be there in the book. That’s how I got a ‘yes’ from Penguin last year saying we really loved the idea and we would love to publish it. So it’s as simple as that.

You just have to pitch an idea to Penguin. If they find your story interesting, if they feel it has substance like this is the need of the hour, and if the book has some amazing & relatable content which has the potential to do good in the market, you could get published too.

My book is based on this generation. A lot of people say that this is a generation of broken hearts and I 100% agree. 8 out of 100 people aise hai jo uss heartbreak se ubhar ke bahar aaye hai to be happiest or most content in their life when it comes to love and relationships. Only 8%.

Because jab mera breakup hua, I didn’t feel that everyone was so delusional or that no one is able to move on. It’s only when you go through a certain thing you start noticing the similar people around you. And till date, I know a lot of people who are stuck in the same loop and not able to move on.

Mere alawa sirf ek aur bandi ko mai jaanti hoon who’s killing it in her personal life. Even though she’s gone through something more massive than me, she has outgrown all of that and came out as a very healed, mature, and sensible person. It’s just beautiful to look at. This book is on point when it comes to this generation.

There is a therapist page after every chapter in the book wherein my therapist has penned down my mental state at the time. I feel during a breakup, you don’t just separate from the person physically, but mentally also, and it does hamper your brain.

So whatever mental state I was going through from Chapter 1 to 10, my therapist has mentioned it all. From what a panic attack looks like, what anxiety feels like, what is that pain that you feel in your heart or why aren’t you able to sleep, how can you sleep, to ‘iske dimaag me yeh chal raha tha that’s why she was feeling this way physically.’

It’s called AC’s desk where the therapist has explained what mental conditions you go through during a breakup because clearly no one talks about that. This is also one thing in my book that I’m really proud of because I want people to take care of their mental health. And I’m contributing towards it so I think it’s a win!

Your book became a national bestseller in no time. What strategies did you follow to market ‘Unloved’ to bring it to a wider audience?

To be honest, it’s nothing I did, this is all janta, this is not me. Of course, I did make content around like ‘haan meri book aa rahi hai, it’s about this…’ From now on I’m also going to make a lot of content on break-up, heartbreak, healing, mental health, and how a break-up affects your mental health. Because I want to do that. I see myself in that space. Since I have gone through certain things in life, if I can tell people how to get closure, it’s a win.

And also because I feel that closure is something no one can give to you. Acceptance is closure. It is the first step towards changing anything in life. So I want people to accept what has happened. If anybody reads the book and they can accept what has happened, and then decide to move on, it’s a victory for me. Because that’s the reason I have written the book.

I think it’s just the content of the book which is so powerful. It is very inspiring for a lot of people. As the messages that I have got say so. And I think my book talks about healing a lot, which people generally don’t. I don’t know what people do to heal and if they even know about healing or not. Meri book mein sukoon hai, hope hai.

A lot of people asked me, ‘What is this book?’ I said this book is hope – of finding the strength to love again with a broken heart. If you’re weak, healing and loving again requires a lot of strength. So it’s not me, it’s just the content and the audience’s love that has made this book a national bestseller. Nothing but super happy and grateful for every inch and iota of love my audience has given me.

Well, we are super inspired by Harshita Gupta’s journey and her efforts to give hope to others out there. Through ‘Unloved’ she wants to let people know that whatever they are feeling while going through this heartbreak phase is completely valid and that they are not alone. Once they accept their emotions, they will also be able to heal and be the best versions of themselves. Have you read Harshita’s book yet? If not, head to Amazon or Penguin‘s website right now and enjoy it this National Authors’ Day!