In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we are highlighting stories written by Asian and Pacific Islander authors. Today's interview is with Queen_of_life_Heba, whose story was the Winner of the Wattpad India Awards 2020. 

About the Author: Queen_of_life_Heba's name is Ruhika and her pronouns are she/her. She hails from a beautiful city called Kolkata, located in eastern India. She hopes to major in Egyptology and along with writing, pursue it as her career. As a woman of color and a writer, she loves to write about multifaceted poc characters who are both detestable and lovable. She is mainly a dark fiction writer and her top two genres to read or write will be horror and paranormal.

About 'Forgotten': Forgotten is a poetry collection that chronicles the deeds and tales of deities from various cultures. Written in a hymnal style, it aims to provide a fresh perspective on the gods whose stories have been told time and again.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself!

Hey all, my name is Ruhika and I go by the pronouns she/her. I am your part-time writer and full-time student from West Bengal, India. A big dreamer, I aspire to pursue Egyptology as my chosen career path (a fantastical but not at all impossible dream.) Other than writing, I enjoy reading, listening to music, and cooking. I am a total newbie to the last hobby but plan on improving in the coming years. 

2. How do you identify within the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and how has your heritage shaped the person you are today?

India is one of the many beautiful nations that dot the map of the ginormous continent that is Asia. I am a full-blown Asian, born in India with Indian blood flowing in my veins. My heritage means a lot to me. It is what has shaped my thoughts and opinions on everything that is or has happened in the world. Many of my stories portray the beliefs that I grew up with. 

3. Does your family have any traditions that are important to you? Feel free to share at least one experience here!

There are many but the one I am going to recount is the one I like the most. In our household, the name of an unborn child is not selected before their birth. Rather on the sixth night after they are born, the mother would light a few earthen lamps and place small paper chits underneath the lamps. The lamp containing the name which is the last to burn out becomes the name of that child. And yes, if you are wondering if that is how my name was selected, this was the method that was applied. 

4. If you could introduce something from your culture to someone else, what would it be and why? It can be a tradition/custom, food, music, or anything else that comes to mind!

If I could introduce anything from my culture to the rest of the world, I would probably introduce Indian classical music. Trust me when I say it, the beauty and the depth of this form of music will blow away many minds. Indians consider music as a prayer. Something that connects the divine to the mortal. Thus most of the songs we are taught to play and sing are hymns or ballads dedicated to various deities. 

5. What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you?

It means a lot to me. I feel satisfied on seeing how the rest of the world is finally accepting us for what we are. The transition from ignorance to knowledge is a slow process indeed but if it makes even a small improvement in the lives of Asians and Pacific Islanders, I will consider it a win. For me, AAPIHM is a symbol of hope and liberation. 

6. How do your experiences as an AAPI author shape your stories? Do you take inspiration from your culture to tell your story? You may talk about 1-2 stories here.

As an AAPI author, many of the traditions and beliefs I grew up with impacted what I write now. Most of my works feature Asian characters in important roles or certain Asian beliefs. These things are deeply influenced by the culture I grew up in. 

For example, let us take an example of my poems from Forgotten dealing with Indian deities. They are written in the form of an ashtakam(an eight-part hymn). This style of writing is rooted deeply in my culture. 

On the other hand, Nalini Mukherjee, an important supporting character from my novel A Tale of Blood and Shadows, is a fellow Bengali like I am. The way she dresses, speaks and the things she believes in are impacted greatly by her upbringing which isn't all that different from my own. 

7. What is your favorite myth or legend? Why?

My favorite legend will probably be the legend of Aset (Isis) and Ausar (Osiris). It recounts the tale of how the goddess turned the world upside down to find her beloved and restore him to life. It is a tale of love, heartbreak, and utmost dedication and loyalty. 

Aset and Ausar are equals. They complete each other. Both of them break various contemporary notions about masculinity and femininity. Because if you analyze the legend in depth, you will realize how they portray a mix of characteristics of both these extremities. 

8. If you could have the same powers as a creature and/or deity from mythology or legends, what would it be? Why?

I would like to be like the bennu bird. If you don't know, it is the Egyptian version of the phoenix and has been connected to the sun god, Ra. It is said to be roughly the size of an eagle with bright plumage and a melodious voice. Every few centuries it would renew itself like the sun. 

I too want to be able to change like this magnificent bird, so that I can be my best self and help spread light to this world. Trust me, it needs it.

9. What is your advice for other writers who want to use mythology in their story?

If a budding writer wants to incorporate mythology in their story I would ask them to read on it extensively. But most importantly, they ought to have respect for the divinities/deities/creatures they are dealing with. Over-sexualizing a myth or the characters within it isn't recommended at all. 

We must always keep in mind that even if they aren't worshipped in the way they used to be before, they ought to be given minimum respect. Doesn't matter if you believe in a god or not. What is important is that you are not portraying your chosen myth/legend in an insensitive fashion. Even in fiction writing some ethics and principles need to be followed.

That's it for the month, it was fun getting to know about Queen_of_life_Heba. You can check her stories featured in our reading list as well as her other works. If you're interested in learning more about other AAPI authors, check out Myth & Legend's AAPIHM reading list here.