For as long as I know, I have liked 'Jane Eyre' — not because I am a huge literature fan or anything but because of a particular feature about that story. It is one of the very few books in classic literature, centered around an unattractive heroine — that too, a tough and independent one.

Being one with plain looks myself, I always saw Jane as a representation of girls like me.

When I first read 'Jane Eyre' I was just fifteen. Again, I did not read it out of any passion for books but rather out of compulsion to pass a state exam. At that age, I did not understand many things as I do now. I only saw this book as a romance novel with a happy ending. I could not identify anything problematic about it. So couldn't my teachers.

Although Mr. Rochester was unbelievably rude, arrogant, secretive, had his first wife locked up, became blind and a cripple, besides losing all his money by the time Jane found her happily ever after with him, my heart still told me it was all okay. After all, Jane was nothing but an unattractive girl. So, maybe that's all she deserved, I thought. The author had made a very realistic point in her story and I appreciated it back then.

But recently, when a friend of mine said that 'Jane Eyre' teaches the wrong idea of love for young girls and plants the thought of settling for anything that comes their way, it got me thinking. Though at first I was defensive, soon I realized that my friend was right.

I don't know about y'all. But 'Jane Eyre' did put into my mind the thought of 'flawed heroines deserve only flawed heroes'. Something that the society has been telling me for years too.

I was influenced by this idea so much that when I wrote my book 'B.O.A.T — Brownest Of All Time' I initially wanted it to have a different plot. My heart couldn't simply accept the fact that a girl like my heroine can ever get a chance with the kind of hero I gave her towards the end. I wanted my novel to be realistic too. Because that's what most readers enjoyed, right? But I guess, I was wrong.

The more I wrote, the more I realized how my readers fell in love with this couple I created and wanted the imperfect heroine and (almost) perfect hero to be together despite their differences. And it was nice to know that people believed in this kind of romance. However, I still had my second thoughts.

So, I discussed with a few close friends about the dilemma that I was facing and they told me that I was writing fiction and it could be anything that I want and it need not be necessarily realistic. They were right.

I mean, why should I try so hard to tell the world yet another realistic story that they already know? Why can't I instead write beautiful fiction that would not only help me put some hope into the world but also inspire my readers, make them happy, and above all, get them to believe that they are worthy of love — A WHOLESOME LOVE — not just any second-hand or last resort type of love.

Now, having said all this, I am not attempting in way to take a jibe at 'Jane Eyre' or Charlotte Bronte or any other author who writes realistic stories. Because we do need tales that tell the truth. We do need plots speaking of the absence of perfection in real life. We do need narratives that bring us back to earth from our fantasies.

But not so much. Only to a certain extent.

After all, what we consume in the name of books and movies is fiction and if that doesn't in any way offer a spark of light to our pathetic lives, what's even the point? For some of us, fiction is the only little escape from our bitter realties, mundane everyday situations and even toxic relationships.

So, I guess, I'm not wrong when I expect storytellers to be a little bit kinder towards the flawed heroines and treat them with the same level of respect just like they do with the gorgeous ones. We deserve the happily ever afters and perfect endings too — at least the almost perfect ones 😄♥️

Most of you probably don't agree with what I wrote today and it's okay. I don't expect you to. Neither do I expect Bronte to change the plot of her novel after 170+ years.

Perhaps some day when I'm old and life hits me hard with its harsh reality, maybe I will not agree with this opinion of mine either.

But for now, while I'm still young, and when hope is the only thing that keeps me going, I can do one thing. And that is indulging in my guilty pleasure of rewarding imperfect heroines with (almost) perfect heroes in my romance novels and I will do it unapologetically!