R.K. Narayan's 'Swami and Friends' is the first novel set in the fictional town of Malgudi, which became a recurring setting in many of his subsequent works.

Bimla is the central character in Anita Desai's novel 'Clear Light of Day', a story that explores the complexities of family relationships and cultural change in post-colonial India.

Arundhati Roy's 'The God of Small Things' won the prestigious Booker Prize in 1997 for its poignant exploration of love, loss, and the enduring bonds of family.

In 'Midnight's Children', the midnight hour on August 15, 1947, marks the birth of independent India and the partition of the country into India and Pakistan.

Lata is the central character in Vikram Seth's 'A Suitable Boy', a coming-of-age story set in post-independence India that explores themes of love, marriage, and social change.

Jhumpa Lahiri's 'Interpreter of Maladies' won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2000 for its poignant and insightful portrayal of the lives of Indian immigrants in America.

Balram Halwai is the protagonist of Aravind Adiga's 'The White Tiger', a story that offers a scathing critique of India's class system and the widening gap between the rich and the poor.

Amitav Ghosh's 'The Glass Palace' is a multi-generational saga that spans the period from the British Raj to the partition of India, exploring the impact of colonialism on the lives of ordinary people.

Sai is the protagonist's grandmother in Kiran Desai's 'The Inheritance of Loss', a novel that explores the complex relationship between India and the West and the impact of globalization on traditional Indian values.

Ishvar Darji is the protagonist of Rohinton Mistry's 'A Fine Balance', a novel that delves into the lives of ordinary people during the Emergency period in India and explores themes of resilience, hope, and the indomitable spirit of the human soul.

Siddhartha is the protagonist of Vikram Chandra's 'Red Earth and Pouring Rain', a novel that explores the complexities of modern India through the lives of three generations of a family.

Chetan Bhagat's 'Two States' became a bestseller and was adapted into a successful Bollywood film of the same name, exploring the challenges and triumphs of inter-caste love in modern India.

Anjum is the transgender protagonist of Arundhati Roy's 'The Ministry of Utmost Happiness', a novel that delves into the lives of marginalized communities in India and explores themes of love, loss, and resilience.

Piyali Roy is the protagonist of Amitav Ghosh's 'The Hungry Tide', a novel that explores the intricate relationship between humans and the natural world, set against the backdrop of the Sundarbans.

Udayan is the protagonist's brother in Jhumpa Lahiri's 'The Lowland', a novel that explores the impact of political turmoil and personal loss on the lives of two brothers in post-independence India.