Tharoor’s novel Riot is not merely a stylized work; it is also a thought-provoking work of fiction. Published in 2001, well after the notorious riots that followed the Dec. 6, 1992 demolition of the Babri mosque, the novel places the plot in February--October 1989 time-frame. It deals with the build-up of tension between Hindus and Muslims in an obscure town, culminating into a major conflict claiming some human lives. This account of recent history is amalgamated with a romantic relationship between the collector of Zalilgarh, the zero point, and a young American girl who was associated with an NGO working for the welfare of women. The story gives ample opportunity to the writer to bring up the cultural differences between India and America. Apart from these, Tharoor focusses on the process of history writing and hints at its inadequacies and limitations. In these postmodern times, history is believed to be subjective and contingent rather than objective and eternal. Hence the ambiguity and lack of finality to the issues touched in the novel.