Two years ago, i embarked on a dream. At that time, i didn’t know what will come out of it, but i knew that i had to tell this story. I wrote a few thousand words while on a break from work, and then life took over. Work pressures, the baby, Twitter, and Temple Run kept me away from proceeding further, and i gave up. Then in 2012, i again picked up on the thread and decided that this time i will take it through. A serendipitous three-week bout of Chicken Pox helped give me the solitude required to write. It also helped that i ran through the entire season of Roadies during that time. I could feel Raghu sir constantly egging me on, inspiring me no end by shouting at me in my dreams. I had heard the phrase in numerous Bollywood interviews earlier, but i actually came to realize what ‘being in character’ means then. The book was on track. The distractions were still there, but it took some persistence, working over late nights, and coffee, to finally complete the book after many months of slogging.

Cut to present day, and the book releases tomorrow. This is as historic an occasion as they come. A dream come true. One item checked off the bucket list. Hopefully the first of many more books to come.

The good folks at Random House sent out advance copies to several people - writers, journalists, Twitter rockstars, Facebook page owners etc, and the reviews are beginning to trickle in. So far, it’s been called a light, breezy read. People have also said that they found it hard to keep it down after they started reading, which is always an encouraging sign. Obviously, it is my first effort, and there’s always room for improvement where it comes to literary style and character development. All i can say is that you improve every time you write. I will too.

Now eagerly awaiting the release tomorrow, and feedback comments to start appearing on blogs, Flipkart, Amazon etc. Also extremely nervous. I’ve done my bit, and can now just sit back and bite my nails in anticipation. Reminds me of the time right before IITJEE results were to be announced. People may not realize this, but writing a book takes as much out of you as slogging for a competitive examination, especially when there’s so many other things in life that you need to balance. Writing is still a part-time activity for me, and my day job keeps me more than busy.

The formal launch plans are still not decided. Will post details here once i have some clarity. There will be an event in Delhi for sure, with potentially more events in other major Indian cities.

Go grab a copy of the book tomorrow, and let me know what you think of it.

As for the feedback - please be gentle, it’s my first time!