A: The original short story is very sparse in its details and developments regarding the princess. Although the crux of the story centers on her decision, you don’t really learn a lot about her, or the way she deals with making the impossible choice between sending her lover to marry another or to death. My novel delves deep into the princess’s character, the ambivalence between kindness and cruelty, and provides evidence and little hints as to what choice I think she makes in the end.

Q: Why did you include so many Urdu words and dialogues?

A: I speak Urdu at home with my family and close friends, and I adore the language. I love watching Pakistani dramas, listening to Urdu/Hindi/Punjabi music, and even reading Urdu poetry (when it’s Romanized because I tragically can’t read the Urdu script). When I was writing, there were moments when those lines of Urdu dialogue came naturally in my head as a reaction; I decided to add them because I really wanted this book to be specific. Then, there were also some instances where I couldn’t find an adequate English word for what I wished to describe, and the Urdu word was exactly what I needed. One example are the different types of love, for which there are separate words in Urdu: pyaar, ishq, mohabbat.

Q: Do you have a specific writing routine?

A: I try to! When I first get an idea for a story, I usually compile a document of snippets and scenes, then I try to turn that into a cohesive outline, then expand it into outlined chapters, then finally, I tackle the drafting. When I’m drafting, I tend to write the parts I am most excited about first, which is usually the ending (it helps me to know where I am going!). I do not write linearly; instead, I often skip around, then go back to fill in those gaps. It helps me to have a schedule and to set a deadline for myself. I aim to write 2,000 words a day, five days a week, particularly when I am on a deadline. But of course, some days are good, some are bad.

Q: Who is your favorite character?

A: That’s a tough one! I like all the characters in their own ways, but if I had to choose, I would say Asfandyar.

Q: Which character do you relate to most?

A: Durkhanai, because I, too, am a princess. Also because she feels things so intensely, which I can definitely relate to.

Q: What was the writing process like for you?