Who is the author of the popular Indian mythological novel "The Secret of the Nagas"?

Introduction / Context:
This question comes from the domain of contemporary Indian popular fiction, especially mythological retellings. "The Secret of the Nagas" is the second book in a very successful series that reimagines Lord Shiva as a human hero. Knowing the author behind this bestselling trilogy is a common book and author question in competitive exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The title given is "The Secret of the Nagas".
• The options are names of well known modern Indian authors.
• You need to match the correct author to this title.

Concept / Approach:
Amish Tripathi is famous for the "Shiva Trilogy", which includes "The Immortals of Meluha", "The Secret of the Nagas" and "The Oath of the Vayuputras". His style mixes mythology with adventure and philosophy. When you see the word "Nagas" and a mythological theme around Shiva, you should immediately think of Amish Tripathi and his series.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise that the book "The Secret of the Nagas" belongs to the Shiva Trilogy. Step 2: Recall that Amish Tripathi wrote the Shiva Trilogy, which became a major bestseller in India. Step 3: Examine the options. Option a lists Amish Tripathi, which aligns with this memory. Step 4: Consider the remaining names. Ravinder Singh and Chetan Bhagat are known for contemporary romance or campus fiction rather than mythological epics. Step 5: Jhumpa Lahiri focuses on expatriate Indian experiences and literary fiction, and Anand Neelakantan writes other mythological retellings but is not associated with this specific trilogy. Step 6: Therefore, the correct answer must be Amish Tripathi.

Verification / Alternative check:
Checking a list of Amish Tripathi's works will always show "The Secret of the Nagas" as the second part of his Shiva Trilogy. Bookstores and online catalogues prominently display all three titles together under his name. This consistency across sources serves as confirmation that he is the correct author for this novel.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Ravinder Singh is well known for emotional romance novels, not Shiva based mythology. Chetan Bhagat is associated with titles such as "Five Point Someone" and "2 States". Jhumpa Lahiri writes literary fiction like "The Namesake". Anand Neelakantan has written "Asura" and other mythological stories, but the Shiva Trilogy belongs to Amish Tripathi. Hence these other names do not match the book "The Secret of the Nagas".

Common Pitfalls:
Because both Amish Tripathi and Anand Neelakantan write in the mythological fiction space, students sometimes confuse their books. Another common issue is mixing up which title comes from which trilogy or series. To avoid this, remember that the phrase "Shiva Trilogy" and the titles mentioning Meluha, Nagas and Vayuputras are part of Amish Tripathi's work, not anyone else's.

Final Answer:
The novel "The Secret of the Nagas" was written by Amish Tripathi.