Monday 11 March 2024

Announcing ‘Brave Inked Emotions’, my 8th book with 30 more eminent and power-packed voices of the writing world




The most awaited surprise is here folks. On the occasion of Women’s Day, I am super stoked to announce my 8th book ‘BRAVE INKED EMOTIONS’ and this time it is with 30 more eminent and power-packed voices of the writing world all coming together for a unique purpose. This anthology discusses ‘Soulful life experiences of eminent Indian writers on how life taught them precious lessons in their emotional turmoil’. The stories are raw, heart-touching, and extremely inspiring to say the least, and have a lot on emotional wellness for all of you. 




I dedicate this book to the women of India, this book is by them and for them, and also to my mom who taught me to lead a life with purpose.


Emotions are beautiful but are also very powerful. They can uplift us at one moment but can sink us really deep the very next. Every coming generation seems to be getting weaker and weaker in handling their emotions and it is heart-breaking to see so many succumbing to suicide or mental health failure. To us not only our emotions are extremely vital but also of our loved ones and each one of us devices his or her own techniques to fare better when thrown out of our comfort zone I guess experience teaches us the most about how to secure our emotional wellness.


So here is a delve into 31 soulful life experiences of eminent Indian writers of how life taught them precious lessons on emotional strength which someone in a similar boat can use as a guiding light to deal better. You can read an unimaginable range of true stories here right from a young bride’s exemplary resilience to a wheelchair-ridden inspirational young girl’s biography. There’s a counselor giving her heart and soul to her student and there’s a destiny’s chosen child stumbling and weaving back life at every step in life and many many more. They all will touch your soul like never before, giving you precious lessons on emotional wellness.


The concept of this book stems from my strong belief that each one of us has an untold tiny story in our heart that often fades away, buried deep in a dark crevice therein, but if told these tales can serve as a worthy ‘Eureka’ for the mankind. Also, Indian woman are the strongest and if they are not life teaches them to become stronger along its course for themselves and their loved ones.

This was the thought behind bringing to you this extremely personal compilation of power-packed real stories of Top Indian Women Writers who have faced it all and have devised their own theories to regain their emotional strength at all costs for themselves. I am really grateful to them for accepting to share these extremely important and vital slices of their lives with you all.


This is my eighth book targeting women empowerment in India and I am sure you will confer the same love to it as you had to my earlier literary outings. This time I have not penned it all but bring in the power of several other purposeful voices along with mine.
If through this work, we can bring a positive change to even one soul in need, its purpose is served.









Please find below the book links for you to make a copy, all yours.


Paperback: https://amzn.eu/d/082XuTu


https://tinyurl.com/brave-inked-emotions


ebook: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0CXPV4176


Heartiest Congratulations to all my Co-writers some of whom turn 'Published Authors' for the first time and my heart is so full. They are rejoicing in the moment and their smiles mean the world to me. I know it has not been easy for them to share it all in public but they did it willingly for the greater good.



 


Also, I am so overwhelmed to see your love towards BRAVE INKED EMOTIONS, and am so grateful for all your support. Thank you for accepting it with open arms. Please keep showering the same love upon us.


Truly Yours, Roma



Friday 19 January 2024

Reflecting on the year 2023-a year of purpose and self healing for me

 




It is time for my customary year-end reflections on the past twelve months, what they gave me, and what they taught me. I begin by expressing my earnest gratitude to the supreme power for giving me another precious year to live because in our everyday small and big desires we forget that our biggest gift is a gift of life and we must leave no stone unturned to make it worthwhile. The year 2023 began for me on this note as I shifted to our new home on 1 December 2022. It is this exact place on my sun-soaked hammock that I wrote my last year’s reflections, too. 


In the year 2023 a lot changed in me and I will fondly like to give it a look back with a full heart. January 2023 started for me with a lot of soul-searching and acceptance. I also merrily got immersed in tapping the power of my subconscious, healing and training it in the process. I also kept working on my Ikigai. It was also the time my annual contract with Amazon as a fashion and beauty influencer ended and I didn’t feel the urge to request the renewal, commercial projects were not what I was eyeing anymore. I value purpose, meaning, and joy in whatever project I undertake. I found immense joy in writing so writing continued but the compulsive desire to be appreciated and praised all the time took a backseat. 


Then in February 2023, I wrote a letter each day to my child as a countdown to his forthcoming birthday in March. The idea was to publish them as a book and present it to him but I chose to gift them to him one each day as it came simply because both of us enjoyed it this way. By the end of the month, I didn’t realize it was quite a few words written which could be easily published as a book. Thus, this ready book manuscript happily awaits seeing the dawn of the day. I am not sure why I didn’t publish them but the joy of writing to your progeny each day with earnest intent and a heart full of love is so precious. Maybe they are too personal for me but someday I will publish them because I would love to stay alive in my words long after I am gone and I want my grandchildren and their grandchildren to know me through my books.


In March my manifestations and a deep desire to lead a purposeful light as always, yielded results. Post exams, birthday celebrations, and a quick holiday, I attended a bloggers meet by Blogchatter, where I clearly saw my goals. As a chronic endometriosis patient, I had suffered badly in India due to the wrong diagnosis and medications and I really wanted to do my bit in changing this scenario in India. This is what led to the birth of Endometriosis Awareness and Support Group India, a 24X7 helpline and community of Endometriosis Patients in India to support and nurture each other and also seek relevant advice for early diagnosis and intervention for this life-disrupting disease. By God’s grace, I could genuinely help several souls through this medium because I know even by lending a patient ear, that I know your pain matters and getting the right professional help whenever needed felt good.


The whole of April I penned 30 articles on this very ailment in the April AtoZ Challenge of Blogchatter to let this initiative reach as many people as possible and serve them or their loved ones in times of need. I tried to be exhaustive in the topics I covered and my research in them and always included the patients' perspective in them because I understood the pain one felt while struggling with this whole body condition. 


In May I went bag packing to Spain for a conference( I need to do a separate post on why I fell in love with the city of Barcelona from the entire country for reasons more than one) and then vacation followed by Paris. Almost a decade ago I had been all over Europe for my Ikea assignments and so many precious memories came flooding by. This time was extra special also because I was with my family which multiplies the joy and beauty of holidays. Europe I felt has become more accepting after the pandemic towards the brown world as they used to call us when I worked there. Though for the major part of the journey, I was very sick and was on antibiotics and cough syrups but it in no way hindered my spirits. But travel truly is therapeutic and I felt so good inside.


Back home in June, I basked in the glory of my first-ever murder mystery being picked up for publishing in Blogchatter Anthology. I thought this was the genre that had eluded me the most but I had to write for my love for Blogchatter, how could I not be a part of their first publishing outing. A few things were difficult on my personal front that threw me out of my comfort zone and I momentarily panicked but by God’s grace a balance could well be struck and I could get my groove back by July. As always writing became my anchor and I weaved my pain into fiction and dispersed it out in the universe. I also learned to self-heal, be patient, and be kind to myself. I learned vital lessons as a human being and a wife, parent, and sister. I learned to surrender. I learned to be at peace and not keep running always. I learned to let go.


Thus, continuing the same, August and September I dedicated myself to self-improvement and also trying my hands at podcasting. After all, I had to learn a new skill each year and also because I had conjunctivitis so with my eyes closed I could not write but definitely record my voice. I was sick so many times this year that I could not get back to my fitness regime and gained a lot of weight. This is one front I have been really lousy in this year and next year hopefully will find a fitter Roma, amen🙂!


But what kept my spirits high was travel in 2023 after so many years of lockdown and being confined to the four walls indoors. My spouse was to take an official trip to Dubai around my birthday in october and he asked me to join him which I happily agreed to. Thus my forties began with a bang celebrating my birthday on top of Burj Khalifa. I will also remember this year for the many firsts I did overcoming my extreme fear. Not only did I take the toughest 360 degrees roller coaster ride in Disneyland Paris but also took the transparent sky glass slide in Dubai at the top floor. I also tried most of the crazily adventurous and a tad bit scary water slides at Atlantis Aquaventure Water Park in Dubai which is known to be the largest water park in the world. Talking on things I am especially grateful this year, I am particularly thankful for all the offline friendships I had forged this year. Less is more for me now and I have become really selective with whom I can invest my time with.


In October, I also hosted an emotional wellness blog hop where the top bloggers of India came together to share their wisdom and coping mechanisms during emotional turmoil. This was indeed such a priceless experience that I decided to put their works together as a book that shall be released on Women’s Day in 2024.


November was beautifully festive and peaceful I celebrated Diwali in our own sweet home decorating it my way and praying amidst Pooja’s and hawans in our office while December made us complete 18 years of marriage so the celebrations continued monthlong and culminated in Goa, our regular adda where we bid goodbye to a generous year of our lives with grateful hearts. Of course, to mark another first I tried parasailing, and man it was so much fun to fly high in peace as if the world came to a standstill for several moments. 


Aah so quite a year, reflecting upon it was really healing in itself, I could work on my purpose in life as best as I could, and yes because I only count my blessings I choose not to pen all that was not that good and only take the lessons learned from them ahead. Thank you so much all of you for blessing me with your presence last year and please keep the love coming in the years to come as well, I thrive on it♥️. Happy 2024 everyone, hope you and I all have a meaningful year ahead.

Monday 8 January 2024

Began my new year at my Baba’s home in Shirdi #Gratefulbeyondwords


 


I feel extremely blessed to have commenced this new year at my baba’s feet in Shirdi attending his Kakad Aarti. This is my first post in 2024 and I probably will witness the purest of the emotions I experienced right at the year’s start.


After I lost my mom and my dad remarried, I was introduced to Baba by a senior colleague who took me to Sai Aarti every evening after work. Whenever my heart cried and yearned painfully for my parents, I silently wept in front of Baba almost always requesting him to take care of my little brother who was struggling even more. Did not realize when Baba literally became my parent and adopted me as his very own child whom he never let down. Soon I relocated to Pune and for 8 long years, baba called me to Shirdi so often that I didn’t realise when it became my Maayka. 


Then I moved back to Delhi with my bag and baggage suddenly after a big surgery and did not get a chance to meet my baba and bid goodbye. Thereafter 5 long years passed and I wondered if my baba would ever call me again and suddenly this year he did and how. When I came to know there was a possibility that we ring the new year in Pune-Shirdi, I made every single odd turn in our favor and went running to him like a lost child having found a means to go back to his parents. The credit would go to my husband and my best friend Prashanti who has constantly pestered me to come back to Pune. She even cut short her annual family vacation to host me. How will I ever repay such unconditional love? May all her dreams come true. 


It was indeed divine to be on the fateful soil of Shirdi again. No wonder it has improved so much in the last 5 years in terms of infrastructure but the original pure innate vibe still remains intact. I did the darshan first and kept walking in the temple premises to reach my favorite window from where I could see Baba to my heart’s content and talk to him all that I am not able to say to the world because I know only he would understand. Some things can only be told to your mom and Baba is both my mom and dad. In the evening too I kept strolling through the streets listening to bhajans and getting a photograph of the darshan made as I wanted to document my Shirdi Visit on my husband’s birthday.


The next morning I got up at 3a.m. and showered to get ready and queue up for the Kakad Aarti. The next three hours were the most divinely overwhelming hours of my life. All the words of the universe put together will fail me to describe how I felt. I just chanted and moved in the rows with a heart full. At 5:15 I was made to sit right in front of Baba and as soon as I saw him tears started flowing down from my eyes and I could not control how overwhelmed I was. I have never got so much time to sit in front of him and talk to him, it was as if he remembered his forgotten child and invited her to sit right in front of him and talk to him which I did to my heart’s content. I kept looking at his face, his eyes though I had forgotten my specs but does that even matter. There was so much to say and listen to. It was the best kind of morning I have had especially because I am a 4am person forever. Prayers have such infinite powers, that I realized surrendering is absolute bliss. I have surrendered myself to my baba completely.



By seven I was back in my room a decent fairly new property known as Alaukik which I highly recommend to anyone travelling to Shirdi because the extremely loving baba Bhaktas run it. I then checked out and reached the airport to fly back to home sweet home. It has been 11 days away and Dilli ki sardi has taken over us since then.

I am still basking in the glory of the fact that I began my new year at my Baba’s home in Shirdi #Gratefulbeyondwords. 



Sunday 17 December 2023

Finding a new purpose in life



Today is Teej 2022 and it is different from how I always celebrated one with great cheerfulness. I have this habit of embracing a smile no matter how much it is hurting inside. Today I have cried my heart out like never before and am having suicidal thoughts. But on my life depends other lives and I am just going to wipe my tears and head out with a smile but the fact is I am lonely very lonely. I want to talk love laugh live and  travel. My partner just sits next to me or walks next to me without a word for over two months. Why am I not worth talking to? I try my best, make demands, go out together, watch a movie but he never utters a word, I only get to hear him when I ask a question or someone calls up. I can’t give him the benefit of doubt that he is very busy with his business because he is mostly playing an online game or watching Netflix if not on phone so my heart refuses to accept this excuse from myself any more. He might have his own reasons I am sure. The fact is perhaps I have become redundant in his life and will in some years become for my kid too. 


In Pune I had a purpose in my life, my academy, no matter at how small or big level, my students who made my life worthwhile. I had something to call my own, something to look forward to and not sit in a corner and cry with no one even remotely guessing your tears. Delhi has deprived me of it and I am struggling but I will soon surely find something to channelise my intellect and someone to talk to who will talk to me and most importantly like me and smile with me.


It will be wrong for me to ascertain the cause of my despondency and current mental state to someone else. I was the one who gave my IKEA career at its peak and all the repercussions I face are entirely mine. I have to pick myself up and motivate myself and see here I am already feeling better a characteristic of typical me. I cry my heart out, let the words flow out and my  soul feels pure and free. Sometimes it is so vital to just let it flow out. Perhaps it is time to once again searching for a bigger purpose in life.



This post is a part of the #CauseaChatter Initiative by Blogchatter.

Sunday 10 December 2023

I am blessed to have you as my soulmate

 



If God asks me to count my blessings 

I will keep you at the top of the list 

For I genuinely believe 

You are the bestest soulmate and my one and only 


I am grateful to Almighty 

That he gifted me you

And then after him am grateful to you 

For being my partner true 


Happy 18th anniversary my love 

Thank you for always being on my side 

I know I am the troubling one

And you my patient knight


Honestly, there is so much 

I have learned from you 

As a person and as a son 

As a father and as a husband 


You are so graceful , we can bank upon you 

And can keep coming back to you 

Words fail me to express 

how I adore you


You know what is the most beautiful feeling 

It is when you respect your partner 

to the extent that his goodness rubs on you

I genuinely believe you have made me a better soul 


Thank you for always being kind 

You are a precious soul inside out 

 am grateful I was chosen to be blessed with you 

Must have been some good karmas of the past births


My last wish is to hold your hand until my last breath 

Watching something together and laughing our hearts out

There is no safer place for me in the universe than your arms 

I am blessed to have you as my soulmate my one 


I don’t know if you have noticed 

Our love is not the regular one 

Some crazy gifted writer in the heavens above

Has weaved us together forever love 


So never get angry 

Nor misunderstand me ever 

My love for you in unparalleled 

Grateful I was chosen to shower it on you forever 

Monday 20 November 2023

22 years of going strong




Hugs and Kisses to you my love 

On completing 22 years of accepting each other forever the way we are 

I still remember that fateful night 

That made us accept our hearts’ desire 


I replay it in my mind a hundred times 

And still smile reliving those moments 

How young, how naive were we

But our love knew how to transcend all boundaries 


From that day, till today 

We have weaved our nest inch by inch 

Need I say how fulfilling is this journey 

Let’s be together like this for many more decades and centuries 


Happy Love Anniversary once again sweetheart 

Together we are really going strong 

Respecting and loving each other 

Despite being so different and sometimes even being wrong 


In our every day hustle bustle 

There are many things that go unsaid

So today let me take the opportunity 

Before it is too late 


Thank you for being kind and caring towards me 

For this I will forever remain grateful to you 

Thank you for all the smiles you give me 

For they are the primary reason I feel like living 


I also genuinely want to say 

I am so proud of your accomplishments 

Not many in this world can fulfil their dreams 

Like you have done 


And you may not know 

For I always nag you

But on this earth I am the one who is happiest to see 

the heights that you gradually accomplish 


Of course for the days we fight

I want to delete them from our life’s flash drive 

I honestly don’t like when you get bossy

Because I always know that internally your heart is as soft as wax and I know my Shobhi 


I honestly love you to the moon and back 

And believe you are the best thing that has happened to me in this world 

I would rather not spend life’s journey with anyone else but you

And I love to keep saying you are mine and I love you