I was not more than six years old. A colleague of my father had come home and he saw Rabindranath Tagore’s Nauka Doobi in my hands. He went on to ask me several questions from the story to which, I am told, I gave all correct answers. My parents looked at me in disbelief and mum asked me several more. Again, the right answers. This is my earliest recollection of reading the classics.
As an inherently introvert, shy and sensitive individual, I was a quiet observer of people around me. It was in 1990 that I sent a short story scribbled ages back to Northeast India’s then lone local Hindi newspaper, Sentinel. I was ecstatic to see my story in print. The writing continued to be sporadic, and the passion took over a couple of years before I retired as Principal from Jaipur’s prestigious Warren Academy.
Now I keep myself busy writing. I also conduct online classes in ‘Spoken English’ and ‘English Grammar’ for mid-primary to high school students.
My dear husband, who has retired as Superintending Engineer from the Rajasthan State Electricity Board is my sheet anchor, supporting unconditionally my twin passions. My two daughters, my siblings four — they are my rocks of Gibraltor, standing by my side and encouraging me at every step of my journey.
The just-published collection of a hundred and one short stories is a labour of love, my observations of life and living. I have also self-published a long story Ehsaas-a-Junoon on Amazon.