These Lies Between Us
Ashish Rastogi
Please introduce yourself to our readers.
I am Ashish Rastogi, a physician and medical research professional from India with a career spanning over 25 years.
My latest novel, These Lies Between Us, was released in February 2026. My earlier works include the cybercrime thriller The Broken Code, published in 2018, and the sports rom-com All the Lines to Cross, published in 2020. My first LGBTQ+ work, Shy, was traditionally published by NineStar Press (USA) in 2022. Since then, I have published three more LGBTQ+ romance novels and an anthology.
The 5-Day Plan was nominated for the Indie Ink Awards 2023 Finals. Cleats, Corsets, and the Cutie is a winner of the Indie Ink Awards 2024. Shy was featured in the 2024 MAMI (Mumbai Film Festival) Word to Screen Catalogue.
When I am not busy managing my medical research company, I write poems and stories and dabble in art.
What inspired you to write this book?
These Lies Between Us was inspired by the hearings in the Supreme Court of India on marriage equality. This novel provides a poignant glimpse into the struggles of queer relationships.
The story is woven around the contrasts between the main protagonists. One has lived in the closet all his life and is now dealing with a bitter divorce. The other has faced the challenges of being proud and out to the world. The age gap and differences in their education and backgrounds add to the narrative.
Please tell us about your book. What is it about, and who is it written for?
Aditya, a history professor, cannot escape a life of lies and the consequences of a 10-year straight-passing marriage. Jimmy, the gym instructor, carries the wounds of deceit inflicted by his family. Amidst the mountains of Almora and the safety of a found family, the truth will tear them apart. Unless one accepts that not all lies are wrong and the other realizes that you do not lie to the one you love.
This book will appeal to contemporary romance readers in general and, more specifically, to the LGBTQ+ community because of its diverse cast of characters (gay and nonbinary) and the found family that plays an important role in the story. The theme is similar to the Malayalam movie Kaathal: The Core, in which superstar Mammootty plays the main gay protagonist. Viewers who appreciated His Story, the Zee Cinema web serial, would connect with the characters and storyline.
What was the most enjoyable or the most challenging part of writing this book?
Writing and developing the dynamics of the found family was the most enjoyable part for me. The scenes involving the hate crime and the aftermath of Aditya and Jimmy’s relationship falling apart were a real challenge. They required me to dig deep into my emotions.
What do you hope readers will take away after reading your book?
I think readers will connect with the internal conflict of the characters. I hope they gain a better understanding of the LGBTQ+ community through the life stories of the main and side characters in this novel.
Through my LGBTQ+ works, I want to bring important and sensitive community topics into open discussions, whether familial rejection, social stigma, or social pressures. Using commercial romance fiction as a medium, I have showcased how these dynamics affect individuals and how their hopes, aspirations, and desires are no different from those in the heteronormative world.
Where can readers purchase your book? Please share the link.
Amazon Paperback: https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B0GJWDL8H7/
India Paperback: https://www.writinglafde.com/product-page/these-lies-between-us
Kindle eBook link: https://amzn.in/d/0h5C94a3
Very different kind of a story. I’m adding this to my To be read. Tha m you Divya Ji and Ashish Ji for sharing.