There'sALetterFor-28Feb2021

135 Under the banner of her publishing house ( The Impish Lass Publishing House - Mumbai ) she has successfully published more than 50 books in 2 and a half year’s duration apart from The Young Bards- book various editions for students and teachers .More than 500 writers across the globe have received an opportunity of becoming published writers and poets under this banner. She was invited to share her views by Sony TV for their first episode of, ‘Zindagi Ke Crossroads’, based on needs of special children. She was recently invited by the “AajTak” news channel to express her views on the special episode on the PMC Bank scam victims. She had written an exclusive poem which was read and appreciated by the living legend of Bollywood- Amitabh Bachchan. She has been the recipient of Wordsmith Award- 2019 for her short story , “Pindaruch,” from the Asian Literary Society. She has recently received World Education Leader Award. As a publisher she believes that EACH SOUL THAT WRITES HAS THE RIGHT TO GET PUBLISHED.

136 You Are In Me Dear Muse, You are woven out of a series of handwritten letters resting on the fair cheeks of paper, and as I caress your elegant selves, I feel sunlight pulsating in my fingertips. I remember the day I had my first rendezvous with you, and the day you first spoke to me. Beneath my fingertips, you seemed to quiver and tremble with a newfound, excited life. It was that day I realized, that you pulsate with life. It was that day I realized, that you are living. Little did I know that on that auspicious day, I had found my dreams folded into the souls of your words. Little did I know that on that auspicious day, I had found myself tucked into the hearts of your words. Truly, it is so difficult to express what you mean to me. Since childhood, my idea of an ideal man has been influenced by my first crush - Amitabh Bachchan. As a teenager, I would spend days glued to the television, letting my heart soak in the essence of ‘Big B’. I would take in his perfect, broad-chested figure, and close my eyes to listen to the sound of his deep, baritone voice. I had this wayward teenage mind, which drew prompt and abrupt conclusions, and was as wild as an

137 agonized steed, which did not know where to go. I would visualize Amitabh Bachchan mounting a horse, and riding towards me with shining, star-crusted eyes – and I would imagine him as my Prince Charming, carrying me away. Truly, my idea of Prince Charming is someone who is tall, robust, handsome with a strong throw of voice. Someone who is intelligent, smart, kind, loving and has a solution to all the problems of life. Someone who can walk extra miles to bring happiness in the lives of the people he loves. The great poet – Rumi, once said, that what you are seeking, is seeking you. I was seeking so much more than just a Prince Charming, and now, I have found you. You live in the realms of paper, but whenever I need You live in the realms of paper, but whenever I need you, you extend a hand towards me, a hand stitched out of clouds and stars, and pull me into your world. You hold me close, run your twilit-ridden hands over my aching temples, and tell me that all will be well. You have always been so busy with your poems and stories, but whenever I have felt the need of seeking advice or sharing my sweet and sour day- today experiences you are always available. You speak to me in a language that the common man cannot comprehend. It is a language –

138 whose script is known to only us. But I’d like to call it the language of the wind and the dew. The dialect of the birds, the song of the clouds. Time and love are the most precious gifts that any woman would ask for and you have showered these gifts upon me in abundance. I took you by my hand, led you to my favourite tapri on a pleasant, monsoon evening where the wind was heavy with the fragrance of petrichor. We sat with two cups of tea between us, and enjoyed, or rather embraced the true essence of tapri ki chai. You would trouble me – pinch my elbow, and snatch my cup of chai. From the day I met you, the poet in me raised her head and started breathing. She crept out of the hidden, dusty dungeons of my soul and positioned herself beneath the bright sky. She filled her lungs with spring breeze, and let the colours fill the whiteness of her heart. You helped me unearth a part of my soul, that I never knew existed. The day I decided to have my own publishing house my husband didn’t approve of that but you trusted my decision. I remember how I stood

139 before the looking glass, adjusting my sari for my first book launch. I was nervous, and a little reluctant. I closed my eyes, and looked at the mirror again. The mirror was tinted with faint, yellow sunbeams. Suddenly, you emerged from a folded piece of paper. “Smile, my Impish Lass. Smile. Don’t you remember how your editor from Delhi, told you that your smile was the brightest and most beautiful thing she has ever seen? Look at the way your smile lights up every corner of your face – like the sun lights up the sky. Look at the way it reaches your eyes, outlining it, softly, tenderly, settling on every eyelash”, you said, holding my hand. That day, with upright shoulders, I released so many anthologies, and won so many hearts. I am what I am today because you took time to mould me into a confident and independent woman. And, my muse, am I just an independent woman? I am a CEO. A mother. An editor. An author. A poet. A teacher. A role model. An inspiration. And, a mother to not only my son but so many.

140 Today on 8th March ,2021, when we are releasing this book in Winterthur, Switzerland, I dedicate my success to you. You have taught me how important it is to adjust our needs for the benefit of our families. In the crowd of faces on the virtual screen, I quest for you. And, I see you. You are the light in my editor’s eyes, as she unties the ribbon. You are the melody in the applause of my writers. You are the soft turn, the crinkle of the pages. Dear Muse, you are in us. You are in me. Loads of Love, Your Impish Lass

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