Expectedly, the one thing common between author-siblings Amrita and Aniruddha Mahale is their surname. We would have liked to say that they both write as well. But even they'd admit that their writings are what set them apart. "People also tell us we look like twins, which flatters me a lot," jokes 34-year-old Amrita, elder of the two. But Aniruddha interrupts, "No, I am not too fond of that idea." He won't tell us why, but in between our photo-shoot, Amrita shares how her brother is the charming one in the family. Unlike her, he's never had to try too hard to look good in front of the camera. Aniruddha, who is used to shining words of praise from his 6,000-odd followers on Instagram, doesn't deny that.

We meet the duo at a Bandra diner, ironically on Valentine's Day, where they are mistaken to be a couple by the staff. Amrita who has studied aerospace engineering, recently released her novel Milk Teeth (Context, Westland), a stellar debut that is both rich in narrative and characters and rooted in Bombay of the yore, as it is set in Matunga of the 1990s. Aniruddha, a gay activist, who already has two published works to his name — one, which he says, is very much forgettable — is currently writing his third book with HarperCollins India. "It's a queer man's guide to survival," he says.