I was privy to the birth and
creation of these stories, the rushing ahead to meet the deadlines and editing,
choosing a title, designing the book cover and bringing the book out. It was
the most exhilarating experience as though you are included to witness the
birth of a new life.
Infused with such pure hope, I got
my e book and read, reread all the stories.
Words coming from deep inside us, words
spoken with utmost honesty and words so sincere in their warmth and love have
the power to transform us and bring a new perspective and make a shift in our
focus.
That’s exactly each one of the
stories in ‘Lives reset’, does to me. Doctor, entrepreneurs, film
makers, story tellers, vocalist, legal counsel, NLP life coach, writers, home
makers and consultants - this assorted group of men and women are ready to lay
bare their concerns, doubts and fears lurking in the deep recess of their
minds. The stories are set in your city, or a place known to you or it takes
you to Afghanistan and UK.
But, there are no preaching
undertones here. On the contrary, each one of the pieces is so creative, some
of them laced with that subtle sense of humour like the story of Dukhi Atma
where Dukhi wonders about her husband’s nods - “He was a skilled nodder, her
husband, nodding to everything she asked but seldom lifting a finger.”
Dukhi, pulled me into her house,
into her thoughts with those visual narratives. I could even smell the same
aroma of coriander, chilly and onion along with her; I shared her concerns and
doubts. She has a subtle sense of humour wondering about her husband - “wanted
to ask him what the nod meant. He was a skilled nodder...”. May be, you start
drawing parallels?
So it is not only Dukhi, but I also
appreciate, “Life was more than a tiny nerve-wracking virus ...”
Parul, in every cell of her body is
a caring doctor; so her analogy presents the profession to us so evocatively!
She plans “”; “my immunity fought back heating up the battleground of my body,
raising its temperature to 105 degrees Fahrenheit...”
If ‘A Doctor, delivered’ makes
you wonder what the doctor delivered, get hold of the book to understand the
passion for the profession, the plan and preparation before a delivery of a
child of a committed doctor. The icing on the cake is the flow of words and the
medical related analogy to explain things - For Parul, it is not being one step
ahead but, “one heartbeat ahead” The labour room description leading to the
birth of the baby and her first gusty cry made me feel like the edgy nervous
husband waiting outside!
And the titles...! Your expectation
builds up, you wonder about the associations implied there or your imagination
gallops away into some mystical or magical land!
‘Compound wall’ got me thinking,
does it tell about the right height for social distancing or “Are we thinking
about reaching out despite the wall?” I don’t know why Robert Frost’s Mending
Wall’ flashed through my memory. When you reach the end of the story, doesn’t
your brain burst with innumerable possibilities of new beginning? “On the
side of the road, the garbage bag that Ajay had once thrown away now sprouted a
healthy shrub with beautiful roseberry flowers.”
‘Upsurge’ speaks of a different kind of rise/growth that
would show the human beings to be more nurturing of their environment than
hindering. “And thus, women reclaimed their place as the stronger gender.” So
the story goes on! My God! Is there anything more exciting than this! Grab the
book, read the story to find out
Are you one of those persons for whom eating is a task or kitchen evokes
nightmares or cooking seems the most mundane task in the world? Let’s shake
that a bit! Read ‘Oregano and Rasam’
“The aromas of spices gave her a calling- as if they were waiting for
her to grace them up. (The experiments of such a person will certainly dish out
delicacies!)
“She brought a lavish bunch of bright red coloured tomatoes, fistful of
juicy tamarind, green chilies, and raw garlic. She poured a long quantity of
water into a vessel and started boiling it...” “The house breathed a new wave
of aroma that day.” I could visualise the golden frothy top layer and smell
that aroma... I could feel the tangy, spicy taste bursting forth on my taste
buds. So, folks, are you ready to venture out and find a ‘new you’?
You want to feel the cleansing and cooling effect of the first
thunderstorm during the scorching summer, look up ‘Blessing in disguise’. The
glory of the powerful Kalbaisakhi with the new hope just soaked me in joy!
‘Sunflowers in the moonlight’ may appear improbable occurrence but the budding
romance (I feel so!) between two human beings (you can’t find two different
individuals like them) is so full of hope.
All the stories are all like the summer rains
which brings relief to all creatures - some are like the dark clouds pouring ice
cool droplets to be enjoyed with a cup of tea; yet others are like the
Kalbaisakhis creating a sense of awe, but still brings a sense of peace in the end
(like The Inner narrative); some
are like a welcome shower which brings the small birds, squirrels and children
out to soak in the cool shower (the verses - ‘Whistling whales and wise men’, ‘I
will rise again’ and ‘Just respect’ evokes such a feeling). Have you ever been
on the rainy slope of Sahyadri or
Himalayas during monsoon and felt the merging of the earth, sky, mountains
trees and all into one whole? Still some creations here elevated me to that
level too! These words uplift me anytime, all the time!
“And then, there was only
Light.
Light, inside me, and all around me.”
“Rumi’s words echo, again and
again...“I am not a drop in the ocean. I am the entire ocean in a drop.”
கருத்துகள் இல்லை:
கருத்துரையிடுக