Imam is not a long lost friend, because he was never lost. But to find him in Delhi at the very moment I needed exactly and precisely him was – yes I’m saying it – serendipity. He came, he took everything in hand, he made the launch a smooth, happy, easy experience for us all.
The evening was made full by the presence of friends and family – friends new and old, family full of delight and support. My mother-in-law surprised me to delight and nearly tears by reading passages from the book, ones that I would never have expected her to read. In her quiet, dignified way, she silenced the small crowd and moved some of them to tears. My sisters, Meithili and Aarti, read too. They were each very different and each infused my words with their own intensity. Imam read a particularly indiscreet passage, and the audience (maybe I imagined this) held its collective breath a little, but he stopped before it went too far into impropriety.
My own reading was short and not so sweet, and the questions Imam practically forced out of the audience wielding the mike like a light saber were probing and sometimes difficult to answer.
There was food and drink and a good time was had.
At the beginning of the evening before the guests arrived, Imam made us stand in a circle and hold hands. He asked us to close our eyes and be silent for a moment. Not my thing, this sort of thing – but I had trusted him with everything, so I indulged him. Or so I thought. I closed my eyes, and in the silence of the circle, went through the list of people who were not there this night. And suddenly, powerfully, as if she were holding my hand, my mother was there at the bottom of that list. She was there for a moment.
signing the first copy of A Pack of Lies!
saheli, imam, and me.
the readers
the dudes with unsold books
Umi we are so proud of you! Lots of hugs, wish I was there right now. Love you all
Wow, dear Umi, your hard years are paying off. You must be so proud. I am. With much affection…..
How wonderful! I am so happy for you! See, it wasn’t so bad afterall.
The shirt and jeans were perfect! The photos are luminous, especially the one of you signing your book. Life seems to be moving, and you through it, so still despite the movement, even if it may sometimes feel otherwise.
Thanks for the love, everyone!
Umi,
With all humility, sincerity and gratitude for being the
‘serendepity’ in all our lives.
May god bless you with health, wealth and happiness of mind, body and soul.
Respect Soul Sister.
Sat Eve 17 Oct 2009
UMI : Read your view on your reunion with Bombay. Can’t write like you, Umi. Your writing has, as Robert Frost describes ” …the beauty of the spoken language …”. Even at my visit in Jan 1994, I had the feeling that the number of people had terrifically increased. But then we now live in a land sparse of life forms, and teeming millions are a forgotten experience. So, the B/Ls are over and the flight to liberty is soon. And you’ve hit your first Grand Slam : Marvellous ! There will be more. I have to tell you about the incident between Chaikovsky and Nikolai Rubinstein. I remembered the incident as I read your Web heading.
See you SOON. Saheli, Mithu, and Farrokh Hello. Farrokh thanks for caring for my 3.
Umi, my dear friend… you’ve done it. Yes, you a WRITER! So proud of you. Now I have to find a copy here in T.O.
Dear Umi
so delighted to have met you after all these years. And I look forward to meeting you again. More often I hope next time. Very proud and happy that you are published you have always been very talented especially in the way you see the world, it is a refreshingly unexpected view!
Hope you are feeling better and have returned home safely?
Never forget the river. It always flows.
Love
Anando