India, June 22 -- Dear Reader,

On a Sunday morning at the Taj Mahal Tea House-a cozy Mumbai cafe known for its pakoras, chaat, and fine teas-we are just settling into a discussion of our book of the month when our attention is caught by two men at the next table. Deep in conversation, they pass a hardcover book between them-sometimes poring over its pages, sometimes examining the cover with care.

Curiosity gets the better of us. After a few failed attempts to identify the title, one of our group finally leans over and asks, "Forgive us for butting in-we're a book club and just had to ask, what book is that?"

One of the men smiles. "It's a new book-you're the first people to ask us about it in public. This is the author, Rahul Bhatia."...