Nitish Bhushan: Indian Thriller Author

Fiction often mirrors life, and sometimes, reality is stranger than anything we can imagine. Love Swipe Blackmail is entirely fictional, but the emotional truths it captures are very real. The idea began with a simple question: What drives someone in a committed relationship to swipe right? Around that time, I was reading a lot about modern relationships, the prevalance of dating apps, and the voids people try to fill in the digital age. The plot came from observation, research, and imagination, not any one person’s story. But if you see bits of real life in it, that’s probably because we’re all navigating similar temptations and choices.

That’s one of the most flattering things a reader can say. So thank you! I didn’t base any character directly on a real person, but I did borrow from real life. While shaping each character, I’d ask: How would someone smart, flawed, curious, like people I know, respond to this twist? I drew inspiration from conversations, quirks, and emotional responses of friends, colleagues, and even strangers on the internet. I wanted to write fiction that feels emotionally authentic. To my mind, fictional characters shouldn’t feel fake. They should feel familiar. They should not feel unreal. They should feel relatable.

Technology did not invent desire. it just amplified access. Cheating didn’t begin with swipes and DMs; those are just the new corridors where old temptations roam. Dating apps make it faster, more discreet, and more gamified, like temptation, only now with push notifications. What has changed is not human nature, but the speed and stealth with which someone can cross emotional boundaries. In Love Swipe Blackmail, there is this grey zone between a ‘harmless swipe’ and a life-altering mistake. That is exactly where the drama unfolds. The truth is, it was never about the app. It was always about the choices we make. So who is cheating? Is it the app, or the thumb behind the screen? Now, with just one thumb and two seconds of poor judgment, you can go from “just browsing” to “just ruined everything.” Dating apps haven’t made people disloyal. They have just made it easier to outsource effort – just swipe, chat, ghost, repeat. In Love Swipe Blackmail, that one swipe sets off a digital chain reaction that even the smartest guy didn’t see coming. Moral of the story? If you’re in love, maybe leave dating apps to your single friends. If not, well, read the book first. It might save you a lawyer’s fee.

Yes. And not just one, but two! Originally, Love Swipe Blackmail was meant to be a standalone. But then came the book club questions, the DM nudges, the Insta messages, and the reader questions  asking, “What happens next?” That love and curiosity from the reader changed everything. In fact I remember asking a counter question when a reader asked me about a sequel. I asked them why do you want me to give you a sequel. And he replied saying that he wanted to know what is happening in Ravi’s, Vandana’s and Bhanu’s life. So now, what started as one book will evolve into a three-part series. The sequel is already in the works, and let’s just say, the secrets get darker, the stakes get higher, and not everyone walks away clean. Love Swipe Blackmail was just the beginning.

It’s not your typical love story. And it’s definitely not your typical thriller. The plot – fast paced and twisty like a mountain road. Two timelines, one ticking clock, and secrets that refuse to stay buried. The characters? Flawed, funny, sharp, the kind you’ll root for even when they mess up. The hero? A guy who thought he was in control… until one swipe changed everything. It’s romance with consequences. It is a thriller with a heart.
And a story that asks: In the age of likes and lies, who can you really trust?