A novel with Nainital as its backdrop – Nude besides the lake – was released earlier this year. This is what H.S. Gill a 1971 Mechanical Engineering graduate of IIT Delhi had to say about it in a recent communication to the author, Ashok, I have read your book from cover to cover, and some parts twice. The storyline flows well, it is pleasant to read, and I enjoyed the experience. I spent my childhood summers in Naini Tal or Simla, and have very fond memories of those times. Neel Tal, where the story takes place, took me back there and the descriptions were reminiscent of Naini Tal before it experienced its own version of urban sprawl. The backdrop is wonderfully idyllic. All the characters are nice people, out to help each other, and the community as a whole. (The only exception is one Mr. Harbinder Gill, who abandoned his pregnant wife in India, emigrated to Canada and started a new family!) I don't want to reveal too many details lest they spoil the fun of others who ha...