There has to be a protagonist who has to overcome challenges, and there will be a race to finish.

The reality of the writer's world is that you set yourself up for future disappointment with every success that you deliver because you end up raising your audience's expectations.

Writing is incidental to my primary objective, which is spinning a good yarn. I view myself as a storyteller more than a writer. The story - and hence the extensive research that goes into each one of my books - is much more important than the words that I use to narrate it.

I was passionate about reading from an early age, and I would always be carrying a different book each week.

After writing each novel, I would spend days poring over suggestions from my editor.

A myth is a lie that conceals or reveals a truth. But if it reveals even a strand of history or truth, that's what gets my adrenaline going.

I don't care if my books don't sell abroad; we have a large enough market in our country. I write for Indian readers.