COLLATERAL DAMAGE

SO, Arjun, this is what an extramarital affair feels like! This is what your friends do. Happy now?" I asked my reflection in the mirror.

- AKASH CHATTERJEE

"This is 47-year-old IPS officer Arjun talking aloud before spending a night with Madhushree, a singer who charmed him at a police event. Arjun knew he was breaking the trust of his perfect wife, Charu. However, the excitement of "trying something else," the illicit thrills of a non-marital relationship, could not restrain him. It was the first time he was going to risk a break in his self-crafted image of honesty to explore his grey side.

After two non-fiction bestsellers, Bihar Diaries and Life In The Uniform, IPS officer and author Amit Lodha has tried his hand at fiction. His new novel, Police Affairs: Beyond the Call of Duty (Penguin), explores the grey side of a law enforcement officer. Is it drawn from real life? "Arjun is similar to me in a lot of ways. And not. When I started writing the book, I was the same age—47—as Arjun. I have a beautiful family like him. Like Arjun, at one point in time, I also liked being appreciated by others. But I learnt not to be swayed. I also do not express my anger towards my subordinates," says Lodha.