There are many firsts associated with this winning — my maiden book, which is also the first LGBT-themed Hindi short story collection, receives this inaugural prize. Getting a prize is humbling, but my joy increased manifold because I’d least expected to get it. While the literary community had a resounding reception, I had to battle resistance too. Some critics decided to ignore the book because they felt the themes were way too explicit, nude, and could contaminate Indian aesthetics and cultural ethos. Our society is often against love — not only queer love but love of any kind. And so, a prize like this, not only upholsters my belief in love but also looks at the society in the eye and asks difficult questions