A tempestous child, poet Lakshmi Bayi found peace in the written word and ended up a student of English writings, only to discover that the present system of education kills all interest in literature. Shown the muse by poet and author Kamala Das, her mother-in-law, Lakshmi too, adopted poetry as her passion, and writing became as natural to her as breathing. Writing is her way of preserving her inner self. Kaali for her is as real as any of Kaali’s myriad creations. In 2000, she published a book of poems called Madness. The Composer King Swathi Thirunal, the artist Raja Ravi Varma, Maharani Sethu Parvathi Bayi, the strong and capable matriarch, mother of Chiththira Thirunal Rama Varma, the last Maharaja of erstwhile Travancore are her ancestors. On her husband M D Nalapat’s side may be included Poet Laureate of Kerala Balamani Amma, philosopher Narayana Menon, Founder of the Malabar Quarterly Review C V Subramania Iyer and satirist Aubrey Menen. Since childhood, Lakshmi loves travelling, and adores oceans, forests and elephants. Mahishaa, with its vivid imagery, is her second book.