Perhaps, but then one could also ask, why not. In my case, the seeds were sown all the way back to my boyhood when I developed an interest in the English language, and a fondness for it, although I cannot claim to be aware at the time. English was also not a choice for a professional career. Growing up in Bombay, the smart choice after high school was not literature but science and engineering, and I made the “smart” choice. I earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from University of Bombay, followed by a master’s degree and a Ph.D., respectively, from University of Louisville and University of Cincinnati in the United States.

Thus equipped, I began my second stage of life that the ancient Hindu texts describe as Grihastha, and which is loosely translated into English as the boring term of householder. Writing was not even a remote possibility in my chosen path in this stage, but I did sustain my interest in books and even managed to read a good number. This was also a time of personal growth and fulfillment, enriched by two wives (one at a time), two daughters, three stepdaughters, and a career of 33 years at Exxon Corp. Retirement came in 2001 and with it came new interests, and grandchildren. In this new life, I took up horseback riding and skiing, taught myself carpentry, applied myself to drawing and painting, and decided to write a novel. The old embers were stirred, and an orange glow reappeared from the mists of time. And to my surprise and joy, I find that writing is inspirational and fulfilling.