Originally entitled Q and A by Vikus Swarup who wrote the story in 2 months

Ram Mohammad Thomas is under arrest by the police because he answered 12 questions correctly ona TV quiz show called  Who Will Win A Billion.

Because a poor orphan who has never gone to school cannot name the smallest planet in the solar system, or the plays of Shakespeare. He is suspected of cheating.

Ram prepares his defence by reviewing TV footage of the show, and takes us on an amazing tour of his life. From the day he is rescued from a dustbin, to his encounter with a security-crazed Australian colonel, and a spell as an over-creative guide at the Taj Mahal, Ram’s survival instincts are infallible.

Stunning an audience of millions, he draws on a store of street wisdom and trivia to provide him with the essential keys, not only to the quiz show, but to life itself