Rachna Siddha, renowned story writer and poet of Rajasthan, received the best story award for her story ‘Maa Ki Diary' in the story competition organised by ‘Sahitya Samartha', a literary society run by Neelima Tikku.
Her story revolves around an old lady whose only son has abandoned her to live alone in the same city. Her daughters are living in other cities. The old lady narrates her miseries and helplessness in a diary.
The story is the mirror of contemporary society, which has lost values and emotions in the cacophony of materialism.
When the old woman died, her son saw diary of her mother which was of his insensitivity and apathy. Every word in the diary was dipped in pain and every sentence was stream of sorrow. The son just could not hold himself from writing a story based on his mother's diary so that the society come to know about the pain and agony a mother go through when she is left alone after her husband's death.
Rachna Siddha has given a pen picture to a relevant subject. Every word touches the chord of heart and every episode looks like story of next door.
A poet by heart, Rachna Siddha has won several awards for her heart wrenching stories and poems. She had tried her hands in all mediums of media including television, newspaper, radio and magazines. Her articles have been published in several leading dailies of India including Dainik Hindustan, Dainik Navajyoti, Dainik Bhaskar, Nandan, Rajasthan Patrika and Rashtriya Sahara.
She had also been a news presenter with Doordarshan and Akashwaani for decades. Her talk shows on Akashwaani and Doordarshan have also been a hit. She has written several story books for neo-literates and children published by National Book Trust.
She is among few media persons in Rajasthan who has experience of working in all the mediums.
Armed with Masters degree in Hindi and journalism, she is as apt in news reporting as in writing features, articles, stories and poetries.
Vivek Shukla is a management graduate who has worked in corporate worked for 20 years and is now pursuing his passion — news.
