You’ll know this when you read the novel. But since you ask, it symbolizes the relationship between the two leading characters of the book.

When did the thought of writing a book first occur to you?

I guess this idea was always there at the back of my mind. There were some interesting observations, stories and insights which would have been lost had I not shared them with the readers. India is at a very interesting juncture in its post-Independence history. We are now more open and receptive to new ideas and experiments. I happened to write this book at the right time and am grateful to God, the readers and all my well-wishers for the very positive response that it’s getting. It’s extremely heartening. It has been just over three weeks since the book was launched.

Would you call it an autobiographical novel?

No, I wouldn’t, though there are autobiographical elements. What I’ve done is, I have picked the bones from my stint in a national daily in Lucknow and fleshed it with my imagination.

Is there any character that resembles you in someway?

See, the author does tend to lend some of his personality traits to the protagonist. In my case, it’s Aditya.

You seem to love Lucknow. In fact, your love of this city shines through more than the love of the woman. Comment...

(Laughs) May be you’re right! In Lucknow, which incidentally, is my mother’s hometown, I found something unique to talk about – its inter-religious bonhomie. We take it for granted, for that’s the only way we know to lead our lives here…even in times riven with strife.

You have said that it is a fun book but for the discerning readers, there are many layers to it. What exactly do you mean by that?

I mean that I’ve tried to say things that are not perceptible in the first read.

How is your book different from the quick-reads that are flooding the market these days?

I would say mine is funny but not flippant. There’s a certain depth to it.

Why did you pick up journalism as a backdrop?

I am a journalist and I have just talked about something that I am familiar with. It’s as simple as that. Besides, I have tried to capture that post-liberalisation phase in India…how it affected this profession in a small town and thereby the dynamics of in-house relationships.

Why a small town English newspaper?

Because I think this is one area that has not been explored. Lives and professions move on an entirely different beat in smaller cities. The characters also come with their unique idiosyncrasies. All this fascinates me and as a creative person, allows me to play with these elements on my canvas. I have also tried to bring their concerns to the fore without being judgemental.

What was the greatest challenge you faced while writing this book?

That’s a good question. Well, there were two challenges. One: How to make a world that I was familiar with -- the world of newspaper journalism and the newsroom in particular, which is hardly glamorous -- interesting to the general reader who has absolutely no idea about this world.

The second challenge that I faced was, and this was a tough one: How to infuse and sustain a pace in the narrative when the city that forms the backdrop of the book, is laidback. I realized that I could do that mainly through the dialogues and humour.

Are you disillusioned with journalism?

Well yes, to a certain extent, but I’m not bitter. After all, if I hadn’t been a journalist, I may not have written a novel at all.

How difficult was it to find a publisher? And why?

It was anything but easy. I was lucky to have a publisher like Narendra Kumar – the man responsible for Freedom at Midnight, the largest selling cult book of India. Other publishing houses had a problem with my book as they couldn’t slot it in genres like romance, humour, etc. Slotting a book in a genre helps them market the product easily. So in other words, marketing concerns take precedence over creativity. Mr Kumar’s gut instinct told him something else and I am grateful that he backed me to the hilt.

One of the reviewers called your book a ‘Meetha Paan’…

Well, someone else called it an iPod nano…meaning thereby that it packs a punch despite its small size. These are all compliments phrased differently. To each his own...I’m lovin’ it!

Your future plans…

I have some vague idea about another novel but the crystals of clarity are yet to form. However, before I take on another work of fiction – which, believe me, is quite a draining exercise – I plan to wrap up another book – this one is on elections in India. It’s important to push your mind in different directions. I fear getting caught in a rut.