Thank you, Anusha

1. What would be your name if you kept a name for yourself?

Steve. Partly inspired by Steve Jobs. Partly because Saurabh and Steve start with S 😀

The other way to answer this could be to give names to my kids. After all we want our kids to do things that we couldn’t. Also, I am not sure if I’d ever “get” my own kids but if I do, I would call em Kabeer, Meera. Why? I love the whole mysticism around them! 

2. Who is your best friend?

The list will be a mile long. But if I have to pick one name, it will be Neo.

3. How will you distinguish need and want?

I dont know how to answer this. May be by saying that things that are wants for most people are need for me. Things like AirCon, expensive laptops, fancy holidays etc etc. 

And then, the want for me would be changing the world, impacting a billion lives, doing things at a global scale. 

Makes sense?

4. What does lust mean to you?

In one word? Chase. 

I lust for things that I crave, things that I dont have. I lust on things that are shiny and I know I cant achieve. To me lust is a such a powerful emotion. It makes me want to do things that I havent dont. It pushes me. Motivates me to do better! 

Of course the classical, biblical definition is “strong sexual desire.” And may I expand sexual desire into desire of anything that gives you pleasure? That to me is not negative. If I desire something, I as a free man, a free-willed man must be free to chase the desire. The chase! 

In fact, in my first book, The Nidhi Kapoor Story, I delved on the concept of lust (and other sins) in great detail

5. Which is better to watch: Sunrise or sunset?

Sunset. 

After sunrise, there is the known, the monotony, the day. So while I am watching it and the world is coming to life, I know that I am looking at going back to the monotonous life. 

After sunset, there is dark, the unknown, the chase. The exploration. And when I watch a sunset, I know that the world would probably sleep and I would get to explore and get an unfair advantage!

6. If you received a card and flowers from a stranger, what would be your reaction?I’d say thank you, to start with. 

And then I would brag like hell to the world. Cos I think its a very thoughtful gesture. Not a lot of people get flowers / cards etc. Plus I dont think I have any friends or something that would ever send me these mushy things. So yeah, gratitude and showoff. 

P.S.: I’d also try to pay it forward. Send em to someone else 🙂 

7. Write a small 4 line story.
The toughest of them all. A, brevity is not my strong suit. B, I have to work hard to be able to write. I think in Hindi, translate in English and then write. And most times when I write, I dont have plots or stories. I have characters and what they want!

So, I am going to skip this one. 

8. Do you think love marriages are better than arranged marriages?

None. The concept of marriage is broken. It was a need for humans to settle in pairs, in groups, in communities. While communities are still important, the 1-v-1 bonding and mating has ceased to serve any purpose. 

If I had to pick one, I’d say love.

9. Have you been in dilemma that you have never been able to come out from?

Tons. Of. Times.

10. Who are you?

I’d like to answer this question by sharing a couplet from one of the songs of my favorite singer – Rabbi Shergill. The song’s inspired by the writing of Bulleh Shah. 

I am the first, I am the last, None other, have I ever known
I am the wisest of them all, Bulleh! do I stand alone?