Come On ! GET SET GO
What and how we feel, stems with every moment of truth we experience in the course of our lives. Some fade away and some stay. But one from the many dreams turns into reality. This piece is dedicated to my dream turning into reality.
I remember my dad always telling me, “If you have a place for one chapati, take only one. If you take two, someone will be left with none.” I learnt the difference between ‘need’ and ‘want’ well in time. Almost nothing came easy but I was generally a happy soul. Free hours would find me with story books instead of barbie houses.
Time flew, but the one constant that remained with me were books. From Comics to Nancy Drews to Agatha Christies to The Roadless Travelled to the Stephen Coveys to the Dale Carnegies of the world.
Within three days of completing my graduation exam, I landed a job.
Never to look back,
I walked - I fell - I stood up.
Again, I walked - I fell - I stood up….
Around fifteen years ago, a normal fight-patch up gift from a dear friend was this book. Reading being my first love as always, I started with it.
The opening line said, “The road to success is always under construction.”
And here is what - It was not just a book!
The author was talking to me.
Each line was just what I needed. She understood me so well. She was so right. There was tremendous gravity. I felt belonged.
Less than half way through and I could well understand why the book was titled what it was.
Every tear and smile of mine clinged on to ‘Come On! GET SET GO.’
Sometimes, I would wonder if I would ever be able to meet this author in person and tell her what she and her book meant to me.
While I had never really aspired for more than a stable profession and a secured roof with a handful of honest people around, god had decided to be kind.
GET SET GO gave me multiple smiles, just that wish to meet the author lingered within.
Cut to three years ago, around mid – 2021, a lady with the same name as the author joined as the director in one of the major departments of the organization I was working with.
I did come across her during some of the common office meetings but being the covid season, we were masks on, so she just remained as someone with the same name.
9th January 2022, the day two of covid to me was burning with 104-degree fever and the agony of a thousand needles pierced in my body. Isolated and crying in pain to myself, at 2pm in the afternoon, my whats app beeped, “How are you feeling Aditi?”.
I replied, “Will get better.” Next message said, “You are a brave girl.”
Who was this person asking about my well-being, like having known me but I do not have the number saved, neither do I know the name? The message had a very strong and familiar vibe but who was it? I chose to see the whats app display picture of this well-wisher. I felt familiar but was not able to gather who.
One Saturday, a few days after my RCPTR report tested negative, I was clearing up my room. I picked up, GET SET GO for another much needed read.
Realization struck in! The face on the cover page of the book and on the what's app display picture looked similar.
I checked to compare. Again, and again.
I showed it to my parents and my neighbors to be sure. They said just what I longed to hear. I felt very sensitive. Next morning, I saved her number to realize that she was part of my workplace what's app group.
I was very happy but double scared. Is this author the same as her books? Or is she different? Should I tell her? Should I not? A galaxy of uncertainties flew in.
A week later, when I was swiping-in at my office, I saw a big blue car come in and stop near the swipe machine. The driver ran out to open the door and a lady stepped out. She had not fixed her mask then.
Graceful as ever, her face reflected peace. Her eyes signified the truth. Her forehead personified originality. Each step she walked was thoroughly thoughtful. She smiled at me.
I was shivering with nervousness but greeted her back. We walked towards the lift. I stepped back to let her get in first but she held my hand and took me along. My eyes were moist, ready to roll. I tried to control my tears but they rolled down my cheeks. I did manage to hide them from her though.
She was my GET SET GO!
It took me six months to tell her that I had read her books and what she and GET SET GO meant to me.
Though we belonged to two totally different worlds, conversations helped us get to know each other bit by bit, gaps – no gaps put together.
She was truly tough but genuinely tender at the same time, no different from her books. She inspired me to listen to my inner being and connected me to my core.
I started scribbling on blogs, from zero before to 70 plus now. She would help me polish up my writing and guide me with my projects.
She extended me a soft copy of her book, ‘360-Degree Excel’ while it was in the publishing phase even before it touched the distribution market.
I still remember the excitement of reading it overnight and the emotion of being able to express your thoughts of your favorite author’s book to the author herself. The flow of her sentences, sequence of spheres and situations felt divine.
I got from her a copy of her poetry book, ‘Ek Baat Teri – Ek Baat Meri,’ co-authored with her husband a while ago. It was not on sale at that point and was one of her two written pieces I had not read amongst all her other books. She did share some of its making, as to how the answers came first and questions were formed later, I could feel her actual depth of thoughts.
Always very humble, reciprocative, understanding, and transparent, she would place me in a comfortable zone to handle what came. I would share little things with her that I would otherwise never tell anyone. She would hold me and still does to settle the tiniest of my discomforts and unfolded me to an aditi I never knew of. Her gestures were so touching, I felt even more belonged.
Of course, eventually I did that I was getting used to a deep presence of her in my life and that I am surely not the only aditi in her's .
This middle class normal being called ‘aditi,’ who is from your local neighborhood in mumbai did meet her favorite author and experienced what had felt belonged.
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