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the trees told me so
I don’t have a romantic backstory to share. There are a few honest ones, though. I can talk about them. Like how as a child I wondered why my dad went to the barber, who sat under a tree? Or how I was surprised when a friend told me about a paanwalah, who’d left his village home to pursue his dream to be an actor. Or how not very long ago, many Indian homes had a mango tree overpowering their verandahs.
Or how I broke down at a funeral when I saw a loved one lying on a bed of wood.
By now, I should have found the answer. My friends and family are worried that I am struggling with words, unlikely for an author, they say. Everyone’s going to ask you the same question — Why did you decide to write a book revolving around trees? ‘For many reasons, familiar and strange,’ I’d like to tell them. When did you fall in love with trees? ‘It’s personal,’ I’d like to add. But then, I guess, it’s too late. The words are now as much theirs, as mine. It’s time I confess.
I am in love and this is just the beginning.
I spend my time interacting with individuals whose lives have been nurtured by the trees. I make notes of stories of surrender, warmth, greed, passion, sins, secrets, faith, hope, anger, disappointment, and pain. I stop by at highways and speak to the fruit-vendor, whose sky is the tree. I visit public parks and wonder why someone would hurt the tree by engraving a heart on its trunk? I watch people tie threads of faith across its bark and hope their prayers are heard. I listen closely and then share the tales, widely. Will we last? Yes.
For, this tale is an honest one. And I am not writing it alone, it’s The Trees That Told Me So.
Chai is not just a beverage, it's an emotion.
A glimpse here.
Passionate about tea, stories and arts! A glimpse here.
Everyone has a story to share about Indian food!
A glimpse here.
It was an honour to share the podium with creative souls!
A glimpse here.
Handsome Point, one of the tales in the book, revolves around the relationship that a father and son.
A glimpse here.
We often talk about the environment with abstraction, but it is time we discussed real issues.
A glimpse here.
The Trees Told Me So had an outing at a lovely park in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. Ten years ago, the park was all but a barren piece of land.
A glimpse here.
These tales are now as much yours as mine.
A glimpse here.
An on-site book exhibition at the author's alma mater, Panjab University.
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