Love, Obsession and the Mind of Crime: Literary Dialogue at Doon Library

Dehradun, February 22. The Doon Library and Research Centre on Saturday evening hosted a thoughtful literary dialogue centred on love, desire and crime, featuring noted English literature writer and academician Prof. Ruby Gupta. The discussion revolved around her short story collection Love and Crime and drew an engaged audience of writers, students, scholars and literature enthusiasts from the city.
The event, titled Desire, Deceit and Death: A Conversation on Love and Crime, had former Director General of Police, Uttarakhand, Anil Raturi as the chief speaker. He reflected on the psychological dimensions of crime, observing that many real-life offences originate in emotional conflicts such as obsession, jealousy and unfulfilled desire. Literature, he said, captures these tensions with a sensitivity that often helps readers understand the darker layers of human behaviour. He noted that Prof. Ruby Gupta’s stories effectively explore this fragile boundary between love and crime.
Speaking about her work, Prof. Ruby Gupta said that Love and Crime examines the complexities of human relationships, delving into emotions such as love, betrayal, jealousy and obsession. She spoke about her inclination towards psychological suspense and noir traditions, her process of crafting short stories, and the growing relevance of crime fiction in contemporary India.
The discussion also explored the evolution of Indian crime writing, the role of female characters in noir fiction, and the moral ambiguities that define the genre. During the interactive session, members of the audience raised questions about the inspiration behind the stories, the research involved in crime writing, and the interplay between reality and fiction.
Several readers appreciated the atmospheric writing, psychological depth and narrative intensity of the stories. At the bookstall, literature lovers were seen purchasing copies of Love and Crime and interacting informally with the author while getting their books signed.
Prof. Ruby Gupta is an award-winning author of ten books and has been honoured as International Writer-in-Residence at the International Agatha Christie Festival in England. Her detective novel The Secret of Lifeng Pagoda is being adapted into a film. Her novel No Illusions in Xanadu has been published by Bloomsbury, while A Degree in Death was shortlisted for the Crossword Book Award. She is currently Professor and Head of the ACC Wing at the Indian Military Academy and has been associated with teaching and writing for over three decades.
Love and Crime has received praise for its gripping narratives, psychological insight and nuanced portrayal of the darker sides of relationships, marking it as a significant contribution to contemporary Indian crime fiction.
The programme was part of the Doon Library and Research Centre’s ongoing initiative to promote meaningful engagement with literature and contemporary writing. It was attended by N. Ravi Shanker, Director, Doon Library and Research Centre; Chief Information Commissioner Radha Raturi; Dr. B.C. Pathak; Madhu Pathak; Kalyan Singh Butola; Surendra Sajwan, former Chief Conservator of Forests, Uttarakhand; Jay Raj; R.K. Bakshi; Alok Sarin; along with Centre Librarian Dr. D.K. Pandey, Sunder Singh Bisht, Rakesh Kumar and several other distinguished guests.