during his final years, narayan, ever fond of conversation, would spend almost every evening with n. ram, the publisher of "the hindu", drinking coffee and talking about various topics until well past midnight. despite his fondness of meeting and talking to people, he stopped giving interviews. the apathy towards interviews was the result of an interview with "time", after which narayan had to spend a few days in the hospital, as he was dragged around the city to take photographs that were never used in the article.