I will prefer my response by first thanking you for the recommendation you have written about my book. You gave me 5 stars and I really appreciate it. Now for my response to the rest of your review. I am also Indian. I was also born in the country and raised by my grandparents till I turned 12. When I wrote the segment about Guy’s work in a village in an arbitrary location in India (I did not specify where for a good reason), was I being stereotypical? No. Here is why. Male preference over female wasn’t just a post-independence issue it has been the case even before that. Just because we believe in goddesses and female priests doesn’t mean that females automatically have equal rights as males. Did you know that women aren’t allowed to enter temples and are basically quarantined when they have their periods (still happening now by the way)? You cannot touch a menstruating women because it will make you “impure”. This isn’t a new thing, it’s from ancient Hindu practices. Are you going to tell me that now, after all these advancements in female healthcare and personal hygiene (tampons, pads, birth control, etc.) females still need to adhere to this? A male has always been preferred to a woman since ancient times for one reason - the dowry. In Hindu culture the dowry basically turns the woman into an expense the moment she is born. Furthermore since the woman is expected to leave the family after marriage she automatically doesn’t receive the same benefits a male would since that’s like sinking money into a well. In fact in Muslim culture a dowry works the other way in which the male is the one paying the female’s family to bring her into his own. Is this better? Not necessarily as now the woman is actually a commodity not an expense (still treated as something to be traded). Why I wrote in Chapter 155 wasn’t a stereotypical representation of India, it was a truth. You feel it is stereotypical because that is what you want to see. You say you read it three times, did you find anywhere that I was being disrespectful to Indian culture? Are you telling me that there are absolutely no male chauvinists and domestic abusers in India? Are you telling me that an uneducated and close-minded villager such as that man will have progressive views on feminism? My guy, take a moment to consider this. If I replaced the Indian village to a poor village in Africa, would you still take the same level of offense? I am not targeting India by the way. In this novel I also talk about other countries like the war-torn Middle East. Look the west really screwed up our country when they left. They did the same everywhere else too. Just read into the atrocities they committed in Africa during their so called “colonization” of the continent. If you think we had it bad, Africa had it ten times worse! Being exploited by the west is a fact, but it shouldn’t be an excuse for everything. It’s the same as saying that just because I was abused by my parents I am allowed to bully my classmates. Anyways, I am going to close this by saying that I wasn’t being stereotypical nor was I being racist. I was being realistic. In fact if you take the time to read ahead, you will notice that Krish and Marie’s entire cultivation method is inspired by Hindi Astrology (my grandfather was an astrologist). If you wish to chat or discuss more please hop on to my discord server. link in the description or in author notes.

I can chat with you but it'd do no good. We need real conversation for topics like this not chat. I noticed your relationship with India in your name and hence I was tame with my reply. Had it been some outsider, my tone would've been different. Just on a parting note, I'll give you some facts to ponder over: 1> Kamakhya Devi Temple in India worships the womb of Shakti and her menstruation. Lores say that the river flowing in the vicinity turned red signifying periods. As for women being considered impure, it was because back then there were no tampons or pads. Women had to make do with whatever little they had. So they prohibited women entry. Tell me in modern India in any of the famous temples where is this still followed? Females do not go out of their own violation. 2> As for Muslim weddings, do your research more. It's not dowry. It's an insurance that a man has to sign and pay so that if in case he divorces his wife suddenly (3-talak, which is the norm), the wife is not completely helpless. Hindus do not divorce as frequently as Muslims do. Look in your own family, and compare that to a Muslims family. You will see what I am saying. I can tell you many AYATS from different HADITHES, where clearly women are objectified in Islam. Do your research. 3> Johar and Sati started when invaders came. You know what I'm talking about because women were considered spoils of war. 4> I agree that situation in ancient India for women were not ideal, but that was the case around the globe. In the novel, the situation occurs in a fairly modern era, that's what bugged me. If you live in India, you must know of the women helpline number. Any kind of violence against women is not tolerated esp by fast track courts. I will stop my rant. It's difficult to convince somewhen when not face to face. Still, good luck for your novel. It was a good read.

Of course I'm not supporting दहेज़ by any means. The intensity of female exploitation portrayed in your novel does not exist in Hindus except for some remote parts of Rajasthan and Gujrat. That degree of exploitation did not sit well with me as it is very very rarely seen if not ever. Anyway, as I said, good luck. There are few Indian authors on WN with good writing. You are doing an excellent job. Keep it up.