Pages Unscripted

Entry 01

Also something else that's been driving me nuts. The titles. Oh my God, the constant use of titles like Rana Sa, Rani Sa, Kunwar Sa, Hukum Sa,Bhai Sa, Bhabhi Sa, Kaki Sa, Dadi Sa, Baisa, Biro Sa-like, can we please just stop?!

If a prince or a royal passes by, no one's going to scream Hukum Sa! or Rana Sa! at the top of their lungs like it's some royal parade.

I mean, no one is even gonna recognize him, Nevermind.

Yes, in Rajasthan, we do use "Sa" instead of "Ji" when referring to someone with respect. But the titles aren't 't limited to just royals. If you're talking to a Rajasthani, you might get referred to as "Baisa, (if you're a girl) It's a term of respect and it's not just reserved for royals And Rana Sa is rarely ever used.

Also sweatheart, there is no King of Rajasthan, not literally and not metaphorically. Rajasthan, is divided into more than 15 princely states, each having their own royal family with their own history, origin, culture, and heritage. There isn't one unified king. So let's just bust that myth right now. The royal families might be interconnected in some or other ways through marriage or alliances or maybe buisness, but there's no single king ruling over all of Rajasthan.

If he claims to be the king of Rajasthan.
RUN!!
He is a scammer.

Oh, and here's another thing: not every Rajasthani is a Marwadi. He/she can be Mevadi, Godwari, Hadoti, Shekhawati, and more. There's so much more to the culture than just Marwaris, so do a little research. Dont just slap Marwari on every character you write. Do some research.

Also, Not to be casteist, but...I've seen a lot of books where the Rajput character (prince/princess) has a surname that belongs to a Baniya, Brahmin, or Dalit community?

Look, this is a sensitive topic, and no, I don't belong to the Rajput community, to point this out. I don't even know their rituals properly, but if you're writing about them, bro, you surely don't want to offend anyone. A little research can save you from a lot of unnecessary backlash

All in all, Let's move away from the overused trope of the "rich prince CEO" and dive into the real history of Rajasthan. Why not explore lesser-known princely states? Why not make your prince a bit more complex, someone who isn't just a billionaire born with a silver spoon but who has actual flaws and struggles with real-world issues?

Before I end this, let me clarify something-I'm not generalizing every royal romance book based on Rajasthan. I've read a fair share of them too, and enjoyed. But I eventually stopped reading them because they all started feeling so repetitive after a point.

That said, I'm not against anyone writing or wanting to write a royal romance based on Rajasthan. Seriously, go for it if that's what excites you! But I do have one request: please do your research.

It makes a world of difference when you dive deeper into the culture, traditions, and history you're writing about.

When I wrote Rainy Retreats, which is set in Assam (a place I've never visited), I spent more than half a month just watching travel and cooking vlogs, reading folktales, and learning about the region. Trust me, these things help! For a royal setup, you can explore podcasts, interviews of royal family members, or even travel vlogs of the specific state or palace you're writing about.

Because Rajasthan deserves better representation. When readers from around the world rely on 抖阴社区 stories to imagine my state, they're seeing only a small, exaggerated part of it. It's not all about having Dal Baati and Gatte Ki Sabzi in breakfast and go horseriding and talwaarbaazi in the evening.

They do polo, BTW.

And if you need help with that, well hi! I'm here and I love talking about my state and culture.

If you're writing any other state or culture, please, take a moment to research. Step beyond the clichés and show the state for what it really is-vibrant, diverse, and full of untold stories.

Tea time: The royal family of my city? It’s got a dark and traumatizing past that involves more murder, crime, politics, and drugs than any bollywood movie.
Also, The infamous murder of the king and his girlfriend. (The king was already married, but, hey, that's not our buisness ;) ). so many parts of the palace are locked to this day, because her spirit still haunts the palace.

▪︎▪︎▪︎

QOTD- What state are you from? And what are your thoughts on how it's being portrayed on 抖阴社区?

I had wanted this one to be easy-going, just a casual conversation about how things are often misrepresented. But, I'm sorry if I came off as harsh. These thoughts have been running in my mind ever since I joined 抖阴社区. It's hard to keep quiet when something you care about is getting misrepresented. So, yeah, maybe this wasn't as chill as I initially planned, but hey, I had to get it out.

Thanks for sticking!