Author Tarun Vikash, whose first book She Stood By Me gained quite a solid following when it was first published, is back with another sweet romcom for you to add to your shelves. The Right Guy tells the love story of now-grown-up college mates Dhruv and Avni and is a hilarious ride that also tackles certain superstitious issues prevalent in Indian society. Vikash spoke with t2 in an interview. Excerpts.

The Right Guy is based on a true story. Give us the story!

This story of Dhruv and Avni was pretty much inspired by the story of my debut book, in which I had highlighted the caste issue present in this country but could not highlight certain other issues that were also part of that story. Hence, I had to come up with a fresh story to focus on this aspect. Two people, Dhruv and Avni, meet in college and fall in love, but can never confess to each other. They meet again in Goa, after four years of graduating college, and then the story unfolds. What happens after that is for the readers to find out.

Which bit of the book was your favourite to write?

My favourite parts are always the emotional ones. Hence, it would be the parts where Dhruv learns of a secret that Avni has been hiding from him for eight years, and the chapter where Dhruv opens his heart to explain how much Avni means to him.

Would you say you are more like Dhruv or Avni? Which character was easier to write?

I am more like Dhruv. I am the old-school type and I can very much relate to how Dhruv is — reserved, introverted, a one-woman-man, and someone who can wait for his love forever.

The book has memorable characters and feels very ‘apna’ if that makes sense. Was that a conscious choice?

Yes, I want to write stories that are discussed even after they are over. Stories should leave an everlasting impact on you or else one fails to bring about the change one wants to see in society. Most importantly, I want people to read more than spend time on cell phones. For that to happen, we have to tell very ‘apna’ kind of stories.

What’s next?

Well, I try to write something new every time. So, my next is going to be really different from my first two books and will highlight an issue that exists in society but has never been talked about. A hint would be, this time I will bring two love stories into the same novel!