The English publishers usually release their books without any fanfare but the Gujaratis have a culture to combine a literary event with entertainment and the audience loves it. All of them organise a new release with drama and music, some sher-o-shairis from the anchor and some terrific word flow from sparkling speakers. Image Publishers are a front runner in this genre and make a star of an author overnight. All their events are innovative and a house full, not surprising that their members eagerly look forward to all Image events.
Today, the auditorium is packed with the who’s who of the city and everyone is prepared for a larger than life release. A 6feet tall book cover is wheeled on stage which I am expected to unveil. It is a mammoth task and I include author Ajita in the process, we open the cover together housing many copies books and present them to all on the dais. It is time for group pictures, more smiles and more poses.
Finally, it is time for the author to make her speech, to tell all of us what made her turn into a writer. “I have everything a woman can ask for but there was something missing, something I could not define but it is called an identity beyond the many roles I play in life and I was searching for an outlet when came this opportunity and I grabbed it”.
Ajita is nervous and has a prepared speech so that she does not make a mistake. Hesitantly, she begins to tell her story, how the idea of the book came about and how her friends encouraged her to share her thought process. She remembers to credit everyone who made this dream possible, her team, her immediate family, her friends and finally, then the speech is over, Ajita looks visibly relieved. She can finally heave a sigh of relief and enjoy the concert performed by Parthiv Gohil and his team.
I don’t wait for the concert because I have food on my mind, more on this tomorrow…
At 9:30 Finally, the evening begins with a mono act based on the book to be released today. This is just a trailer for the larger picture to follow but before that, some formalities have to be observed so all the honoured guests are invited on stage and what follows are speeches. The minister makes a diplomatic speech, the motivator packages a social presentation and as the chief guest, I entertain my audience with stories from the film world. The topic for the evening is women and I pay tribute to all the women in the film fraternity who have influenced my worldview as a journalist.
It is still raining but not pouring like in the morning and floods have cleared all the way. We feel gratitude for making it to our destination without hurdles. I have come to realise that blockages come into our lives to teach all of us a lesson. They come to test our endurance and we must not fail in our patience! If we hold faith and walk the path we set for, the blockages dissolve with time and new opportunities surface, if we lose faith, we lose opportunities.
With time I have learnt that what we often describe as destiny is actually self-created. We are responsible for every experience in our life, for instance, my friends and I could have been intimidated by the floods and changed our plan, we didn’t and went head on for an experience!
Post the aarti my friends acquainted me with all the nooks and corners of the ancient temple and its relevance, we dipped our feet into the sacred hot water which has the sacred power to cure all infection and incurable diseases. We walked the narrow lanes in the backyard and lingered in the museum housing memorable pictures of Nityanand Baba in various stages of his life. The walk back home is incomplete without a stop at the curios shop selling Nityanand memoirs – a picture, a mala, a locket or a musical instrument, I purchased one too which reverberates with Nityanad mantra and which is my companion over my first cup of tea in the morning.
The coffee was refreshing and revived our spirit and even though the rains continued with the downpour, we were unbroken in our spirit. Jagdish continued to drive cautiously and Bhakti made sure he was not distracted from the road. Somehow all of us had faith that a miracle will happen and the roads will clear on their own!!
And it did! A few kilometres before the signboard the clouds cleared up suddenly and the sun beamed at us from behind the trees and the clouds. It was evident that somebody in Ganeshpuri was keen on having us at his abode and helping our journey. From there on it was a beautiful drive of the green enclave and sparkling mountains. The roads looked happy and washed and @927BigFm also was playing cheerful songs.
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