India, Jan. 10 -- Did you write the novel during the pandemic or did you approach it retrospectively?

I had been wanting to write this book even before the pandemic and it was more about fitting a male character and a female character together in one setting, each of whom comes bearing a heavy emotional burden. The burden each one carries, could or could not be criminal in nature but they're not criminals even though they're not very sure because there is something that both feel very guilty about. I wasn't really planning to write about the pandemic, but when the pandemic happened, I continued with the story and changed the setting of the book - a male character and a female character meet, carrying emotional burdens, with the pandemic ...