Soumya Gupta at the EBD for “Bharat Bluff”

Most of us believe we're too careful to get scammed and we know not to click suspicious links, share OTPs, or trust strangers on the internet. We tell ourselves that scams happen to people who aren't familiar with tech or who simply weren't paying attention but, somewhere thats what makes us vulnerable. That was one of the things that came up while speaking with Soumya Gupta, author of Bharat Bluff, at the English Book Depot today. 

Published by Roli Books, as she spoke about the book, it became clear that Bharat Bluff isn't just about scams but also about the way they work, why people fall for them, and why none of us are as immune as we'd like to believe. 

One observation she shared was particularly striking that we often assume scams happen only through technology and mostly target older people who aren't digitally savvy but that's no longer true. Today's scams are designed for everyone, a convincing message that appears to come from your bank, a fake investment opportunity, or someone posing as a trusted official, they can happen to anyone, anyone can be deceived. 

Sometimes all it takes is catching someone at the right moment with the right amount of urgency, pressure or trust. And the book, Bharat Bluff explores the world of scams and fraud through real experiences, including incidents that Saumya and her husband encountered themselves and which is why meeting an author is always interesting,hearing the experiences that shaped a book adds another layer to the reading experience. It reminds us that behind every published work is a person who has observed, experienced, and chosen to turn those moments into something others can learn from. 

Thanks to Bookstores, they often introduce us to new books, stories and people.

Perhaps that's the biggest takeaway from today's meet and greet - Awareness isn't about being suspicious of everything. It's about knowing that anyone can be caught off guard and that staying informed is one of the simplest ways to protect ourselves. 

 -Sneha

Interview with author Bhagwant Singh Rawat on his post-retirement literary career.

Meet and Greet 

Interview with author Bhagwant Singh Rawat on his post-retirement literary career.

Key Takeaways

• Career Transition: After retiring as a DRDO scientist, Rawat pursued writing, a lifelong passion. His debut novel, Quarter Moon, Full Moon, was self-published after a decade of on-and-off work.

• Debut Novel: Quarter Moon, Full Moon weaves three threads: a young woman’s unrequited love for a senior officer, the politics of a large office, and a dangerous project in the land of the mysterious “Mafi Tribes.”

• Early Validation: Key early encouragement came from Ruskin Bond, who called a story a “worthy endeavour,” and from local newspapers such as Doon Darpan and Doon Classified, which published his work.

• Advice for Youth: Rawat offered two core principles: prioritise health for a long, fulfilling life and cultivate belief in a higher power to navigate life’s stresses.

Topics

Transition from Science to Literature

• Rawat’s post-retirement writing career fulfils a lifelong passion for reading and creating.

• Rationale: Writing provides personal satisfaction and fulfils a creative drive.

Literary Journey & Early Success

• First Publication: A Hindi story in the local newspaper Doon Darpan provided the initial validation.

• Humorous Articles: Regular contributions to Doon Classified led to a call from a well-known local writer, Raj Kaur, who praised the work.

• Key Validation: Ruskin Bond called the long story “Alfie Welles’ Love Story” a “worthy endeavour.” The story was later published in two parts by Garhwal Post.

• Doon Plus Supplement: This local Times of India supplement published 6–7 of Rawat’s humorous articles, building confidence to start a novel.

Debut Novel: Quarter Moon, Full Moon

• Origin: Begun in ~2007, the novel took over a decade to complete and was finished only after retirement due to a demanding work schedule.

• Publishing: Self-published on Amazon after major houses rejected the manuscript, a common challenge for new authors.

• Plot Threads: The narrative is built on three interconnected stories:

  1. Unrequited Love: A young technical assistant, Miran, falls for her senior, married officer, Guru.

  2. Office Politics: A realistic portrayal of a large office environment with scheming, insecure, and flattering colleagues.

  3. Mafi Tribes: A mysterious, isolated community in the high mountains. The office team’s project takes them into Mafi territory, where they fall into a dangerous trap.

• Genre: A blend of love story, adventure, suspense, and humour.

Science & Storytelling Connection

• Imagination: A common thread. Rawat cited Albert Einstein’s use of imagination (e.g., riding a light beam) as a parallel to creative writing.

• Inspiration: Science fiction (e.g., H.G. Wells’ Invisible Man) can inspire scientists to pursue real-world innovation.

Advice for Young People

• 1. Health is Wealth: Prioritise health through good sleep, nutrition, and physical activity to prevent future illness and enjoy life.

• 2. Carry God with You: Cultivate a belief in a higher power. This provides a sense of support to navigate life’s stresses, even while taking full personal responsibility for one’s actions.

FATHOM AI-generated notes.

Aftab Seth, author, poet, and diplomat

Aftab Seth is a distinguished retired Indian diplomat, author, and academic who served as India’s Ambassador to Greece, Vietnam, and Japan. Born on September 17, 1943, he had an illustrious career in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) spanning from 1968 to 2003. He is widely recognised for his deep expertise in Indo-Pacific affairs, his mastery of multiple international languages, and his contributions to global education and literature.

Literary Work & Books

Seth is an accomplished author and poet whose recent publications reflect his experiences and cross-cultural journeys:

• The Beautiful Archipelago (2026): A book dedicated to exploring the history, geography, and culture of Indonesia.
• I Do Not Know Why. (2025): A highly praised collection of 26 reflective poems mapping his thoughts on old age, global conflict, and memories from his travels.
• A Diplomat’s Garden (2023): A detailed personal memoir encapsulating his multi-decade journey across global diplomatic postings.

Indonesia: The Beautiful Archipelago is a 224-page exploration of Indonesia’s stunning island nation, published by Birch Books in 2026. The book appears to be a visual and informational guide showcasing Indonesia’s diverse landscapes, culture, and natural beauty across its thousands of islands. It’s designed for readers aged 20-50 who are interested in travel, geography, or Southeast Asian culture.

Would you like to know more about what specific aspects of Indonesia it covers?

Aftab Seth in conversation with Sneha Pundir

The Light Way by Akane Hoshiba

Brewing Knowledge

We had the pleasure of Akane Hoshiba’s company at our Book Cafe, and she shared the book The Light Way and its core themes.

Key Takeaways

• Book’s Core Message: The Light Way is a guide to one’s “soul path,” reminding readers they are inherently shining and complete from birth.

• Inspiration: The book was inspired by two events: finding a notebook of his final thoughts after her father’s death, which showed words live on, and seeing her newborn son’s inherent radiance.

• Core Philosophy: True happiness comes from self-love, which eliminates the need to prove worth to others. Spirituality is the essential foundation for a fulfilling material life.

• Author’s Goal: To use words to help people remember their inherent light and take a step forward on their unique life path.

Author’s Background & Philosophy

• Name: Akane Hoshiba (Akane → “deep red,” like a sunset).

• Profession: Writer, speaker, and life coach.

• Core Mission: Guide people back to their true selves (“their own light”).

• Analogy: A sunset symbolises “home”—a place to shed roles and just be oneself.

Inspiration for The Light Way

• Father’s Notebook: After her father’s death, she found a notebook from his hospital bed.

  • Key Quote: “Being able to eat, being able to walk, being able to talk... everything is just happiness.”

  • Impact: This taught her that words live on and can provide strength.

• Newborn Son’s Radiance: Seeing her son’s inherent “divine gold” radiance led to a realisation:

  • We are all born complete, shining, and inherently loved.

  • We are “meant to forget” this truth so we can discover it, a journey that begins with “separation.”

Key Themes & Readings from The Light Way

• Theme: Finding Your Path

  • Page 14: “To become who you truly are, you must first feel the truth. Loneliness is not the end. It’s a sign that your path of light has just begun.”

• Theme: Self-Acceptance & Uniqueness

  • Page 92: “There is a seat that only you can sit in.”

  • Page 144: “Every piece of a puzzle has its own unique shape... Don’t strain or edit yourself to do it.”

• Theme: The Power of Connection

  • Page 83: Her career focus (teacher, artist) has always been on affirming others’ voices and opening hearts to let their “deeper radiance begin to shine.”

• Theme: Resilience & Rebirth

  • Page 107: After a period of feeling “empty” and “hollow,” a friend’s advice—“write again, Akane”—helped her “rise again.”

Q&A: Spirituality vs. Materialism

• Question: How to find happiness in a materialistic world?

• Answer: Don’t separate the material and spiritual. Spirituality is the essential foundation for a fulfilling material life; without it, something important is missing.

Q&A: Overcoming External Opinions

• Question: How to live authentically despite others’ opinions?

• Answer: Cultivate deep self-love. This satisfaction eliminates the need to prove worth, allowing one to respect others without seeking their validation.

• Akane Hoshiba: Continue her India journey, which she views as a spiritual platform to “come back to our centre.”
• Attendees: Purchase copies of The Light Way from the Book Cafe of The English Book Depot.
• Session summary courtesy FATHOM AI.

Combat Chuckles with Ratna Manucha

Ratna Manucha is a prolific Indian author and educationist with over 30 published books to her credit, primarily in children’s literature, English grammar, and humour. Based in Dehradun, she is the founder and principal of the Little Flower School and has over 25 years of experience in teaching and writing. She joins us for a lovely conversation at our Book Cafe.

Key themes discussed:

• Humour in High-Pressure Environments: Ratna Manucha explains that humour is essential in the armed forces. It serves as a way to cope with the stress of service, wars, and deployments. These stories, often humorous only in hindsight, form a part of the cultural fabric of military life.

• The Process of Gathering Stories: The collection contains 21 stories and three poems. Manucha describes the collaborative, “Chinese Whispers” process of reaching out to retired officers from all three services to compile these authentic experiences.

• Humour as a Serious Medium: Manucha argues that humour is often underestimated in literature. She highlights the importance of self-deprecatory humour, which she feels is lacking in Indian culture, and emphasises that taking life lightly is a vital life skill.

• Intended Audience and Impact: The book is written for everyone, but Manucha especially hopes it reaches young adults deciding on their career paths. By showcasing the “behind-the-scenes” lightness of the services, she aims to provide a more humanised perspective of military life beyond the common focus on rigour and discipline.

• Discipline and Strength: Throughout the project, Manucha maintained strict discipline, crediting her background in the armed forces and education for her professional approach to meeting deadlines while working with her contributors.

When She Married Dr Patekar and Other Stories

 

Brewing Knowledge

Author Nidhi Thakur discusses her book When She Married Dr Patekar and Other Stories with Sneha at The English Book Depot.

Key Takeaways

• Book’s Focus: The collection explores the NRI experience in the US from 2000–2010, a period defined by intense isolation (pre-WhatsApp) and suspicion (post-9/11).

• Title Story: “When She Married Dr Patekar and Other Stories” is a fictional biopic of a Bollywood diva who loses her contextual fame upon moving to the US, forcing her to reinvent her identity.

• Unique Structure: The book connects its 11 stories by having at least one character from each appear in another, creating a “small world” feel that reflects the NRI community.

• Upcoming Projects: Thakur is compiling a bilingual poetry coffee table book and writing a historical fiction novel about a lesser-known Mughal-era woman.

Author’s Connection to EBD

• Thakur’s connection to The English Book Depot (EBD) is deeply personal; she grew up in Dehradun and considered EBD her “second home” for non-syllabus books.

• EBD was her source for quiz books, encyclopedias, Enid Blyton, and Agatha Christie, serving as a de facto library.

Book Concept & Cover Design

• Theme: The book explores the NRI experience, inspired by Thakur’s own move to the US in 1999.

• Cover Design: The cover visually represents this theme.

  • Mughal Motif: Represents the author’s Indian roots and a personal connection to Delhi.

  • Aeroplane Window: Added at Thakur’s suggestion to symbolise the NRI journey and the act of flying away.

Thematic Core: The 2000–2010 NRI Experience

• The stories are set in the first decade of the 21st century, a period with two defining characteristics for NRIs:

  • Intense Isolation (Pre-WhatsApp):

    • Expensive calling cards ($5 for 15 mins), limited calls to family in India to once a week.

    • This created a profound sense of loneliness for young immigrants.

  • Post-9/11 Suspicion:

    • A shift in American society led to suspicion of brown-skinned people.

    • This forced NRIs to navigate public spaces differently.

Origin & Writing Process

• The book’s origin was organic, not planned.

• Thakur’s writing process began with journaling reflections on her own and others’ NRI emotions as a form of solace.

• During the pandemic, she compiled these notes and story fragments into the final collection.

• Her writing style is spontaneous, driven by an “itch” to capture ideas, though she aims for a daily 10-minute session.

Key Stories & Themes

• Title Story: “When She Married Dr Pathika”

  • A fictional biopic of a Bollywood diva who marries an NRI doctor and moves to the US.

  • Theme: The contextual nature of fame. In the US, she is an unknown, which forces her to reinvent her identity without the paparazzi’s attention.

• Empowerment of NRI Women

  • The book’s protagonists are often women navigating complex challenges.

  • Example: “Shaadi.com wives” who move to the US on dependent visas, losing their professional identity and financial independence. The stories explore their resilience in making their marriages work.

• Interconnected Narratives

  • At least one character from each story appears in another.

  • Purpose: To create a “small world” feel, reflecting the surprising interconnectedness of the NRI community in a large country.

• Bilingual Elements

  • Each story ends with a Hindustani sher (couplet) or a kavita (poem), along with its English translation.

  • The text also integrates Hindi words to add cultural flavour.

Upcoming Projects

• Poetry Coffee Table Book: Compiling a bilingual collection of poems written over time.

• Historical Fiction Novel: A novel about a lesser-known woman from the Mughal era.

  • Thakur is currently conducting research for this project, which was the primary purpose of her trip to India.

  • Timeline: Expected release in late 2026 or 2027.

Next Steps

• Readers: Purchase signed copies of “When She Married Dr Partekar and Other Stories” at the English Book Depot.

• Nidhi Thakur: Continue research for the historical fiction novel.

FATHOM AI-generated show notes, read with care.