About the book

From the tribal forests of erstwhile Madhya Pradesh to the winding lanes of Rishikesh, from the halls of Cambridge University to the heart of Assam, this book weaves a varied range of human emotions and dreams, of hope and memory, of love lost and love gained.

Though there are underlying themes of feminism, spirituality and patriotism that run through, this is a collection that is not bound by genre. With every story, the reader gets to explore characters in different geographical, historical and cultural landscapes.

Why did I write this book?

Reading fairy tales to my granddaughter Taarini meant that she would keep prodding me with an unending ‘One more Amma’ tune and when I would finish a book, she would promptly say “Why don’t you make up a story?”

This made me think that I should write stories for her to read as she grows up, stories that are suitable and interesting for her. But when I tried, I realised it wasn’t easy, and somehow the tone of narration turned out to be more adult in nature. I continued writing with the hope that Taarini, when she comes of age, would read them, not because they were literary jewels, but because of her love towards her Amma. As I started writing, each story took root in different states of India, so that she would get a peek into the cultural heritage of those places and one day, it may fascinate her, encourage her to explore and understand this great country of her ancestors on her own. She is my muse and, first and foremost, a big thank you to you, Taarini.

I may be new to the world of professional writing but I’ve always been writing, and I don’t mean just diagnoses and prescriptions! I’ve written songs, poetry, short sketches on people, magazine articles, but this is my first foray into the world of short stories and I hope you, my beloved readers, will enjoy the journeys that my characters take as they navigate the vagaries and the marvels of what we call life.