The Sun Sunnyvale's Newspaper Photograph courtesy of the Vermas Sunnyvale authors Amrit Verma, center, and her husband Hari Verma, right, present their latest book to Indian Vice President Krishan Kant at his New Delhi home in December. Husband-and-wife team prolific in retirement By Pam Marino Hari and Amrit Verma moved half a world away to spend time with their grandchildren, but that hasn't stopped them from being two of Sunnyvale's most prolific authors, and it certainly hasn't stopped them from writing about their original home, India. The husband-and-wife team just published another in a series of books they have written, Decisive Battles of India Through the Ages, Vol. II. Volume I was published four years ago. Their books have been heralded by the leading newspapers and magazines in India. The two moved from India to Sunnyvale six years ago when their granddaughter, Malvika was born. Her brother Rishab was born three years later. Although the couple could have retired and just enjoyed the grandchildren, they have continued to research and write their books. They travel to India at least once a year, spending about a month there. Their most recent trip ended last month. The couple's book-writing career started approximately 25 years ago when they undertook 100 Great Indians Through the Ages. They researched 5,000 years of India's history to come up with the definitive list, assigning two to three pages to each person. Although a couple of their choices were controversial, the book was well received both in India and the United States for what one publication called its "avalanche" of information, and its clear, crisp writing style. The book was a perfect blend of the couple's individual backgrounds and talents. Amrit Verma started her career as an archivist for India's National Archives in 1953. Hari Verma was a writer and editor who worked for the government. Amrit did most of the research, and Hari did the writing. After the success of 100 Great Indians, the two went on to write other books, including Indian Women Through the Ages and Eminent Indian Women. As a government assignment, Amrit wrote Forts of India. The couple met in New Delhi, after Amrit's family was forced to leave their home of Lahore, now in Pakistan. Thousands of families were uprooted during the partitioning of India when Great Britain gave up colonial rule in 1947. Muslims left India for what became Pakistan, and Hindus left Pakistan for India. "It was unthinkable, it has never happened in history," Amrit said. "We can't describe ... the suffering." Once in New Delhi, the family adjusted to their new life. Amrit completed a master's degree in history, and began working for the National Archives. Hari, from central India, was working in New Delhi on a journalistic assignment. He was introduced to Amrit's father by a friend. Hari was caught by Amrit's beauty. "We approved of each other," Amrit said. More importantly, Amrit's parents approved of the match between the couple. "India at that time was very different," Hari said. "Falling in love was not sufficient." They married in 1955, and their son Gaudam was born a year later. They lived, Hari said with a little chuckle, "happily ever after." Amrit, already working in a country where most women did not have careers, continued to work for the Archives, just a few minutes walk from their home. Amrit's family helped care for their son. Hari got his start as a writer while still in college in the 1940s. He wrote stories that were published in one of the country's top magazines. He later worked for various government agencies, including the Ministry of Agriculture as assistant editor of a publication, and as an editor for All-India Radio Broadcast, similar to Voice of America. He also worked for the Ministry of Communications as an editor, and then as a public relations officer. He retired in 1984. Writing is not the couple's only talent. Hari had completed a law degree in 1950, and when he retired he joined India's Supreme Court Bar; he's still a member to this day. When Amrit retired, she too passed the bar exam and joined her husband as an attorney at age 60. The young students who took the exam with her called her "Auntie." Hari also received the honor of a fellowship with the India Council of Historic Research. In between researching and writing, the two babysit their grandchildren, and Hari donates his time to the Sunnyvale Language Bank through Sunnyvale Community Services. When needed, he translates from English to Hindi and vice versa. "We are not sitting idle, we do things for the community," he said. One of the projects they are most proud of is a library they established in memory of Hari's father, Ram Charan Lal Verma, in Alampur, India. Hari, a voracious reader, donated the thousands of books he collected in his lifetime to the library, which has been called the best in that area of the country by Dr. Govind Singh, a member of the Legislative Assembly of Lahar. They continue to collect books and donations to build the library. The couple is also preparing more books. Amrit is working on a follow-up to her Forts book, writing about temples, mosques and other places of worship in India. Hari is editing a book by an Indian doctor, and is writing a book about religion and philosophy. He has a book coming out later this year called Jurists of India. The two said they have no plans to retire from writing. "This gives us life," Hari said. Amrit agreed. "If there are no projects, there is no life." [ Back to Contents Page | Sunnyvale Sun Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, February 10, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.