This isn?t the America fond Indian parents dream of for their sons. Nine short stories by Rahul Mehta, an American of Indian origin, and a lecturer in English at Alfred University, West Virginia, US, are set in the US as well as India, and interlinked. The protagonists may be gay, but issues affecting their lives have larger resonance. The characters traverse both lands and discover love, and its end, can be as complicated anywhere. The author explains his take to Suman Tarafdar through email. Excerpts:

What are the challenges to gay writing being accepted as popularly as heterosexual love/social tales?

My mother, who has always been incredibly supportive of my homosexuality, told me that the scenes in my book depicting gay sex were the most difficult for her to read. She said she probably wouldn?t have had the same reaction if the couples were straight. It surprised her to realise that, since she thought she was so accepting of homosexuality. I guess this is all to say, yes, I do think there are still barriers when it comes to mainstream readers being able to accept depictions of queer sexualities on the same level as straight ones.

What are the major challenges and what can make acceptability easier in mainstream America?

I think the Indian-American community puts tremendous pressure on its sons and daughters, particularly those of us who are the children of immigrants. We feel pressure to live up to the dreams and expectations of our parents, dreams that we ourselves may not share. For those of us who don?t necessarily want the same things as our parents want, that can be very difficult. Many Indian-American friends of mine who have chosen paths different than the expected paths of becoming doctors or engineers or scientists or business persons, or who have chosen not to get married or not to have children, have had a tough time. However, I?ve been lucky; my family has always been supportive of the choices I?ve made in my life.

India recently decriminalised homosexual love. Is the situation in India addressing barriers of social sanction?

I?m not an expert on homosexuality in India, but it does seem to me that decriminalising the act is the important first step in greater acceptance. I was deeply saddened to read about the recent death of Dr Srinivas Siras. As a college professor myself, I can?t imagine what it would be like if my students were to harass me the way the students on Dr Siras?s campus viciously harassed him. Clearly, we have a long way to go.

What led you to write this book?

I started these short stories while doing my MFA in creative writing at Syracuse University, and I?ve been working on them in the years since graduating. I?m a fairly slow writer, so it?s taken me a while. My next project is a novel set in India.

What was the research like? As you are US-based, did you have to research in India as well for the stories based in India?

I?ve been coming to India fairly regularly for the past 16 years. Growing up in a small town in the US where there were very few south Asians, I didn?t have a strong sense of my Indian heritage. As a young adult, I started traveling to India in part to better understand that aspect of myself. I fell in love with India and have been visiting regularly ever since. My partner also loves India. He was a yoga teacher for many years, so on our trips we often stay at yoga ashrams. So I have multiple reasons for coming to India. My connection is deep and strong. I would come here regardless.

Does the short story format permit greater leeway to present more stories?

Typically, publishers prefer novels over short story collections. But I?ve always loved short stories, both as a writer and as a reader. There is a certain economy in the language and in the storytelling that you find in short stories that you don?t always find in novels. Short stories at their best feel to me a little closer to poetry in their attention to language.