Parent Trap

Her first novel,Nine By Nine,which released in 2008,captured the emotional bonding of three college friends as they struggled through friendship,loss and the demands of society. “It was melancholic,so I made every effort to make the second one slightly more humourous,whimsical and a lighter read. Even my family gynaecologist recommended I do so,” she chuckled. Likewise,Daman takes us through the world of 13-year Ashwin,whose passion for cricket gets a new lease of life once his driver begins coaching him. His fascination for the latest gadgets,his harmless crush on a history teacher and coming face to face with societal prejudices are all vividly captured. “I would secretly observe the mannerisms of my son— how he reacted to daily situations,how his behaviour changed when friends came over and how he liked to retire to his room occasionally,” explains Singh,who slowly realised she was making her son uncomfortable with her snooping around. “I stopped observing him and decided to figure out things for myself,” she continued.

Since the novel is written in the first person,in the words of the 13-year-old,the challenge says Daman,was to ‘control her thoughts and prevent an overwhelming vocabulary’. “I had to get into the shoes of a teenager. Many times my son would get annoyed over my childish behaviour at things and would snap back with ‘grow up mom’,” she adds.