India, June 24 -- What was your childhood like?

My father is from Madhya Pradesh, and my mother has roots in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. My father was in the army, so I have been all over during my childhood. Growing up in the 1980s with an army background meant visiting militarized zones and travelling with people who were carrying AK-47s and guns all the time. Punjab and Kashmir are where I spent most of my childhood. As a child, I did a lot of reading and watched a lot of movies.

Why and when did you think of becoming a writer?

Growing up in an army unit meant that my sister and I did not go out and interact with other people much. Everyone is from a different age group and different backgrounds. Some don't have their families alon...