"Mann Rachnaayein", Mind, heart and soul....

" Mann Rachnaayein ", Mind, heart and soul.....

Being human is perhaps the most intriguing part of living on this planet. Having a heart, mind and soul is another wonder. Our heart, the size of our palm enclosed, with four chambers pumping blood, sending it to all parts of our body and making us live, breathing, kicking and feeling.
Our brain, a hard nut from outside but as tender like the coconut inside with millions of electrons constituting our mind.
Our body in its physical existence together with the mind and the heart becoming our soul sets us apart from any living creature.
In rare instances of our life we find the body, mind, heart and soul in unison experiencing the ethereal world of pure joy.
11th August 2018, will remain one such day not only in my life but also in the life of those who care for me and came to celebrate the fairy tale of my creativity.
My tryst with writing Hindi poetry was a sheer coincidence of love, belief and trust reposed in me.
My induction training into IAS at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy of Administration, Mussourie led to many new friendships. Among the friends I made was Sumedha Kataria, who moved on to be a mentor, philosopher, guide, friend and Guru all rolled into one. With her began my journey of re-acquaintance with literature, poetry and music, a world, I had left behind in the muddle of my mundane existence.
Managing my career, home and life not necessarily in that order had taken it's toll. I had lost track of the songs I sang, the books I read and the fun I had. Meeting Sumedhaji brought back all those finer aspects into my life. Bhagvat Gita, Ghalib, Mehdi Hasan and sufiyaana melted my frozen mind and gave flow to my creativity.
And lo and behold, I started writing poetry in Hindi, a language I hitherto used to speak or use quite like any other Mumbaikar. I now started using it to express my innermost thoughts and feelings, sharing them with Sumedhaji. And she in all her magnanimity encouraged me, guiding me and goading me to take my first steps into poetry. This was my first experience with the power of positivity of a noble soul, of how one's inner strength can give wings for another to fly. My average day became a fountain of creativity with a desire to write and live up to her expectations.
Along with her were Rekha, my professor from the University of Pune and Pooja, my friend- confidante, sakhi. They steered clear my doubts and supported me so much with their conviction that I felt convinced of myself. I used to write and send my poems to the three and wait eagerly for their response.They not only gave a good feedback but corrected my grammatical or other mistakes. These bountiful ladies laid the trappings of my beautiful book on poetry.
However, it was Sumedhaji who gave it shape and style and its additional worth by choosing five poems and setting them to tune. This was the biggest surprise of my life and the culmination of my innermost desire of launching a book came true. "Mann" our mind has the innate power and ability to make or break a person. Our success and failure depends on how we lead it. The innumerable emotions we feel in our heart get translated into thoughts in our minds and become powerful tools for our existence. The purity of our thoughts gives shape to the happenings in our life. My innermost thoughts and mind looked up to the essence of this unadulterated virtue and so I was christened to be, "Mann Vimal" and "Mann Rachnaayein" was the outcome of those thoughts.
My father was to be away from Mumbai for two months from the 16th August so organising a function in a short span of 5 days was the challenge which I undertook with the blessings of God.
My nonagenarian father consented to bless me with the release steering clear the path of any imaginary hurdles too. My immediate family including my brothers, bhabhis, sister, aunt, cousins, neice, my husband, in-laws and their extended family in all their magnamity concurred to be with me. My friends and colleagues including the renowned Director Ashok Kaul, came along to perk me up even further.
A celebrity of the stature of Kailash Kher arriving with the benevolence of the mighty Kailasaa. It was a certainly scene straight out from a fairy tale as if Shiva and Vishnu and all the Gods had descended to bless me along with all the beautiful people who came for the launch.
My teenage son, Vishnuchittan taking over the mantle of conducting the show, my sister Malathi, speaking about our family with elan set the tone of everyone's mood. This was not a routine event but one where heart's felt that tug, throats felt that lump, eyes moistened with tears of joy, love, happiness and a sense of pride and belonging. My neice Anagha's glowing face and flowing words added the youthful charm. Generous words of encouragement from Sumedhaji, sagacious thoughts of Ashok Kaul and the unfeigned words from  Kailash Kher added with his soulful rendition made my day memorable.
The arrival of blessings of Lord Laksminarsimhan from the Ahobila Mutt temple, Chembur combined with the blessings of our Acharya Azhagiyasingar made the day divine.
Vikas Relhan of VK Rehmaa Waves from Kurukshetra, Nainy and Akshi electrified the atmosphere with their invigorating performance by setting my words to lilting music. My words gelling beautifully with Vikas's creative genius expressing gratitude to God.
My book of poems, "Mann Rachnaayein", designed most creatively by Dilip Kawli of Media R&D in record time with such precision and quality.
My brother Rajan's profound expression of gratitude and love reverberating in his feelings for his little sister and for all the lovely people who had descended to make this day most beautiful was as moving.
I am still in a state of trance, unable to find words which would give exuberance to my thoughts and feelings of gratitude to God, to my family and friends who made this day possible.
I have been blessed to be born to my Amma and Appa who nurtured me with so much love that I was able to face the ups and downs in my life with integrity, holding my head high with the confidence of the trust they reposed in me. Our births into good families and our bondings with good people are matters of chance. More often than once God has blessed me with this chance. I am truly blessed and indebted to Him for this kindness and munificeience. I remain in gratitude and all I can say is thank you.....