How do I understand your life stories?

The best part about this job is the people I get to meet. Right now, I am working on a book based on this extraordinary grandfather’s life. He is in Mumbai and I am in London. Every two or three days, some time in the morning for me, in the afternoon for him, I call him up and we…chat. We laugh, we shake our heads at how much things have changed. He reminds me of my own grandfather even though they have little in common.

As we talk, 2018 disappears, cold grey London disappears and he takes me to the 1940s, to a small village in India with paddy fields. To the big city in the ‘60s. The Middle East in the ‘70s. Together we live, we love, we lose, we win.

My book is full of notes, my recorder has several files in his name and by the end of one week I am ready to make a chapter plan. I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude, to him for sharing his story so freely, to this idea I had one fine morning and to whoever is up there for making this a part of my journey: to play a small part in the journey of others, to enable them to share their stories through my stories.

My story plan (obscured for confidentiality)