EPISODE · Apr 30, 2026 · 41 MIN
Chandrani Ghosh — HEARTLINES: A Love Triangle - with Kathleen Matthews
from Politics and Prose Presents · host Politics and Prose
Sharmila Basu has curated the perfect life. He is the one variable she never planned for.As an Indian American political journalist, Sharmila appears to be living the ultimate American Dream: a high-powered career, vintage wardrobe and a swanky home in the power corridors of Washington, DC. She lives with her boyfriend, America's reigning heartthrob and favourite TV news anchor Lionel Stern. Even Lionel's notoriously icy mother has welcomed her into the fold. But for the daughter of an Indian Foreign Service attaché, who spent her childhood traversing the globe before finally settling in the US, predictable is a dangerous word and stability an illusion. At a high-profile awards gala, Sharmila's orderly world is upended by a chance encounter with a group of vibrant Indian Americans – specifically, Jake Thacker. A math savant turned tech mogul, Jake possesses a gravitational pull that Sharmila can't ignore. Sparks fly. Lines blur. And suddenly, everything she has felt certain about feels negotiable.As kismet begins to unravel her carefully constructed reality, a darker threat looms. Beneath Sharmila's poised exterior lies a secret from her past, one that no longer intends to stay buried. When her past threatens to become national headlines, Sharmila must decide if she is willing to let her world implode to finally find her own truth.From the gala circuits of DC and the quiet porches of Iowa City to the sun-drenched streets of San Sebastian in Spain, this is a love triangle unlike any other.Chandrani Ghosh is a former journalist (Time, Forbes, and Business Standard) who, many years ago, traded her press pass for a carpool one. Now that the carpoolers are drivers, she returns to the page. Drawing on her experiences of growing up in the chaotic worlds of Kolkata and Delhi, spending her twenties in London, Geneva, and Kathmandu, and eventually settling in Washington, Ghosh makes her literary debut with Heartlines.Ghosh is in conversation with Kathleen Matthews, a Washington journalist and communications strategist. For 25 years, she reported and anchored the news for WJLA-TV. In 2006, she moved to Marriott International as chief communications and public affairs officer for the global hotel company. In 2016 she ran for Congress in Maryland's 8th congressional district, later served as chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, and she remains active in Democratic politics. She is a voracious novel reader.PURCHASE:https://politics-prose.com/book/9789369529193?ic_referral=bcKEZTxWk8JPkiUXYxGneeEE1NccGPUZapJa4LjW-iEwM7E-uE88AAvt2YtXhfG0Y_cZDMN0pkafoHISHv8lu4A3lPCsx0CmsfWP9uPe6YgEZGexcOrGVx9CwNi8OIveHLjEhNA
What this episode covers
Sharmila Basu has curated the perfect life. He is the one variable she never planned for.As an Indian American political journalist, Sharmila appears to be living the ultimate American Dream: a high-powered career, vintage wardrobe and a swanky home in the power corridors of Washington, DC. She lives with her boyfriend, America's reigning heartthrob and favourite TV news anchor Lionel Stern. Even Lionel's notoriously icy mother has welcomed her into the fold. But for the daughter of an Indian Foreign Service attaché, who spent her childhood traversing the globe before finally settling in the US, predictable is a dangerous word and stability an illusion. At a high-profile awards gala, Sharmila's orderly world is upended by a chance encounter with a group of vibrant Indian Americans – specifically, Jake Thacker. A math savant turned tech mogul, Jake possesses a gravitational pull that Sharmila can't ignore. Sparks fly. Lines blur. And suddenly, everything she has felt certain about feels negotiable.As kismet begins to unravel her carefully constructed reality, a darker threat looms. Beneath Sharmila's poised exterior lies a secret from her past, one that no longer intends to stay buried. When her past threatens to become national headlines, Sharmila must decide if she is willing to let her world implode to finally find her own truth.From the gala circuits of DC and the quiet porches of Iowa City to the sun-drenched streets of San Sebastian in Spain, this is a love triangle unlike any other.Chandrani Ghosh is a former journalist (Time, Forbes, and Business Standard) who, many years ago, traded her press pass for a carpool one. Now that the carpoolers are drivers, she returns to the page. Drawing on her experiences of growing up in the chaotic worlds of Kolkata and Delhi, spending her twenties in London, Geneva, and Kathmandu, and eventually settling in Washington, Ghosh makes her literary debut with Heartlines.Ghosh is in conversation with Kathleen Matthews, a Washington journalist and communications strategist. For 25 years, she reported and anchored the news for WJLA-TV. In 2006, she moved to Marriott International as chief communications and public affairs officer for the global hotel company. In 2016 she ran for Congress in Maryland's 8th congressional district, later served as chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, and she remains active in Democratic politics. She is a voracious novel reader.PURCHASE:https://politics-prose.com/book/9789369529193?ic_referral=bcKEZTxWk8JPkiUXYxGneeEE1NccGPUZapJa4LjW-iEwM7E-uE88AAvt2YtXhfG0Y_cZDMN0pkafoHISHv8lu4A3lPCsx0CmsfWP9uPe6YgEZGexcOrGVx9CwNi8OIveHLjEhNA
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Chandrani Ghosh — HEARTLINES: A Love Triangle - with Kathleen Matthews
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