Both for warmly welcoming what is certainly the strangest novel I’ve ever written, and then for urging me to go further and make it more weird, I would like to thank Harriet Allan. My gratitude also to Aditya Mani Jha (to whom I further owe the suggestion of the title), Claire Murdoch, Ranjana Sengupta and Anushree Kaushal for their great support of this book, and to my agent Nadine Rubin Nathan, for her belief and all her efforts on its behalf.
Jane Parkin’s crucial nudges, and equally her encouragement, helped me reach the version I was most pleased with. Thank you also to Stuart Lipshaw who is wonderful to work with in producing the final text, as well as the proofreaders and outstanding book designers in both New Zealand and India for their invaluable work. My deep gratitude to Ma, Baba, Tore and my beloved Sasha, my first four readers, who gave me heart with their enthusiasm. I would like to include an especial thank you to Ann, my mother-in-law, whose help during the writing of this book has been invaluable.
And finally, Leela, whom I look forward to picking up from school at the end of each working day as much as I look forward to her picking up my books one day.