Nikita Chinamanthur

Ants Nikita Chinamanthur

"She was short and fat. Check. She was funny and flirty. Check and check. She hadn't ever touched another human besides through a fiber optic connection. Definite, solid blue check."




Ants tells the story of Natasha, a 19-year-old South Indian teenager, as she navigates through online dating, feelings of displacement, her desi background, insecurities and depression.




Afraid of rejection, Nat finds all her men online, in a platform called The Chatroom. There she meets Ben, another lonely teen living three thousand miles away. Although there's nothing concrete about their relationship, Nat starts idealizing and fantasizing about what it could be - plotting and planning elaborate scenarios.




This explorative young adult novel is a tale of two people meeting virtually, exchanging flirty and racy messages, while never seeing the other's face. Can Natasha, or anyone, truly fall in love with a person they've never seen or met?