Hello, amazing reader,
It’s Wednesday and time for another post.
Today’s post is a much-cherished memory that also left me with an important life lesson.
It was sometime in early January this year when a radio show approached me for an interview on my debut novel Shikhandini. It was supposed to be held in Mumbai over a weekend. I was very excited about this as it was my first experience. After multiple confirmations, I finally booked the tickets and my husband too decided to accompany me. But, a week before the D day, I was told that due to some unforeseen circumstances, the interview had to be postponed.
Needless to say, I was not very pleased. To top it off, the flight tickets were non-refundable and the two of us had already applied for leaves. There was no point backing out. After much debate, we decided to go ahead with our plan and visit Mumbai – the city of dreams. During that week after hearing about the postponement of the interview until we landed in Mumbai, I sulked at every mention of it. On one hand, I was sad about the interview on the other, about the unnecessary expense.
Once we landed in Mumbai, for the four days we stayed there, we had the best time. As a child, I had lived in Mumbai for many years and was familiar with some ‘must-visit’ places. Every day, we left our hotel early in the morning and reached back late in the night. We explored the beautiful city on foot, train, metro, BST, taxi and every other mode of transport the city had to offer. We savoured the street food and watched the sunset at the marine drive. At midnight on the eve of Republic Day, we watched the CST Railway Station lit up in tricolour.
We spent the day set aside for the interview, visiting the Elephanta Caves – A UNESCO World Heritage site. I looked at everything in the city with a feeling of Deja Vu. I was revisiting these places after a gap of fifteen years, having first seen them through a child’s eye.
Today, I am glad we took that trip knowing that under the given circumstances, we may not be able to make any trips for a while.
On the day, I received the call about the postponement, I struggled to comprehend the purpose of the whole thing. I was sure it would not add any value to my life. Today, I somehow see the dots connect. I once again come to believe that everything in life happens for a reason and only what is truly meant to be, manifests.
Before you leave, don’t forget to hit the like button below.
If you enjoyed reading this post, do subscribe to my blog. You will be able to read all the new posts from your inbox. No spam, I promise.
Love,
Ashwini
Featured Image: Photo by Darshak Pandya from Pexels
Congrats