Who is the author of the novel "Gently Falls: The Bakula", a popular work of Indian English fiction?

Introduction / Context:
The question tests your knowledge of contemporary Indian authors and their widely read novels. "Gently Falls: The Bakula" is a well known novel that explores marriage, ambition and personal growth. Recognising that it is written by Sudha Murty, a prominent Indian author and philanthropist, is a common expectation in general knowledge and book and author sections of exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The book title mentioned is "Gently Falls: The Bakula".
• The options list several authors known for Indian English writing.
• You need to correctly match the book with its author.

Concept / Approach:
Sudha Murty is known for her simple, heart touching and realistic stories that often focus on middle class Indian life, ethical choices and personal relationships. "Gently Falls: The Bakula" fits that pattern. A good way to approach such questions is to remember a few key titles associated with each author, so that when you see a familiar book name you can instantly recall the correct writer.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall what "Gently Falls: The Bakula" is about. It is a story of Shrimati and Shrikant, a couple whose marriage is tested by ambition and neglect. Step 2: Associate this type of realistic and value driven narrative with Sudha Murty, who often writes about similar themes. Step 3: Check the options and notice that Sudha Murty is indeed one of the choices. Step 4: Consider the other options. Amitav Ghosh is more known for complex historical and political novels such as "The Shadow Lines" and the Ibis trilogy. Step 5: Mitali Meelan, Ravinder Singh and Kiran Desai are all capable authors but are not linked with this specific title. Step 6: Therefore, the correct answer is Sudha Murty.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can confirm this by checking any book catalogue, library record or reliable online listing of Sudha Murty's works. "Gently Falls: The Bakula" consistently appears under her name. Additionally, many exam preparation guides list this title under common book and author questions, where it is always matched with Sudha Murty.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Amitav Ghosh writes literary and historical fiction that usually has a very different tone and setting compared to this novel. Mitali Meelan is known for other contemporary works and does not have this title to her credit. Ravinder Singh is famous for romance novels like "I Too Had a Love Story". Kiran Desai is recognised for "The Inheritance of Loss", which won the Man Booker Prize. None of these writers authored "Gently Falls: The Bakula".

Common Pitfalls:
One common mistake is to confuse Sudha Murty's books with works of other Indian women writers simply because they share similar themes like relationships and families. Another error is guessing based on who seems most famous internationally rather than who is actually associated with the title in question. Always rely on specific memory of the book and its author rather than popularity alone.

Final Answer:
The novel "Gently Falls: The Bakula" was written by Sudha Murty.