2022

In what has been an extremely difficult year for me, I've reached its end with a very important lesson: That not all acts of kindness may be reciprocated with kindness. Maybe, because compassion for approval or acknowledgement and wanting to be known as compassionate and generous isn't any more than a work of self-aggrandisement. 

As my world collapsed, I delved into books to retreat from hate and fear, I found wisdom in Hercule Poirot's deliberations and Fredrik Backman's humour. I picked up a new skill, GIS (Geographic Information Systems) that taught me that you can change the way you want to see the world and re-project what you want by changing the datum or the point of origin (0,0) in the coordinate system. And so here I am at the end of the year, with a new set of coordinates, a new course in life and career and maybe even identity (for what we call our identity is what others project on us). 

It wouldn't have been possible for me to get through the year without the support of those who stood by me in times of utter helplessness, some travelled continents after years to meet me, others dropped random forwards and jokes to bring a smile to my face, still others called to compliment me about the books, The Goa Saga, I had worked on for 5 years but did not have the chance to do a proper launch because of personal setbacks. (They'll have their time, I'm sure.) I am grateful to every one of you for being with me when I needed you the most. Thank you.