India, Sept. 7 -- Dear Reader,

There have been more floods since last week. More landslides.

Mostly there is no electricity. When it comes, for a few hours a day, I rush around crazily, charging Kindle, phone, laptop and battery pack.

When the network stutters to life, panicked calls come in. "How can you sound so calm? You're marooned!" they say.

"I have Zora for company," I tell them.

Zora, the protagonist of Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris is living alone too. I listen to her story every time I step out in the rain, walking through sludgy streets and sidewalks in my rain boots, with my rucksack and umbrella for company.

In the evenings, I read by candlelight, rationing myself 10 percent of J K Rowling's latest thriller - Th...