The झरोखा of 2024
Of light and shadows, reflections on endurance, and writing beyond the horizons...
Navigating 2024 felt like living through multiple years compressed into one — a year that galloped and gasped. Not by the clock, but by the soul-stirring moments it packed abaft the pane.
A झरोखा in itself — half in shadow, half in light, where every passing glance carried the promise of discovery, the ache of goodbyes, and the warmth of becoming.
I kept looking. At the world and after myself.
The year that shook me. The year that sculpted my endurance. The year that got me a lot of sunflowers. And the year passed so quickly that I didn’t get time to lose any weight. 😛
But as promised, the year jab maine aasamaan likha. #NaPWriMo, Inktober, for clients, and of course, worked on two new books! One of them - #TadowByShalaka is coming home on Sunday, April 13, 2025.
Started the year recovering from COVID, and soon received a letter from the Ministry of Culture, Govt of India to speak at Sahitya Akademi’s World’s Largest Lit Fest. By far, the grandest honour.
Write Click will mark 2 years soon with signposts of growth. Got a GST Number. Revamped my website. And, and, my work desk has a new address! Come, say hi! 👋Delivered my first-ever keynote speech for Herkey at Indore and inkspired a full house of kids at BLF. Appeared on the NY Times Square, too!
Had great chats with Smt. Sudha Murty and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw. Breathed the same air as Gulzar Sahab and said hi to Mirza Ghalib’s remnants in Ballimaran, Purani Dilli.
33 flights later and umpteen experiences richer and I can confirm that - when you can’t feel my hea(r)t, look into my taken flights. It's where my demons hide.
Kashmir called, Lucknow summoned, Indore appreciated, Delhi honoured, and Himachal embraced. Trivandrum was incomplete, Dehradun was decent whereas Hyderabad humbled.
Mumbai was rough, Goa was tough, Nagpur was meh, and Bangalore felt the same. As it should. A few more I am forgetting.
Restarting tabla classes was one of the best things. And the Amritsari tabla set as a gift. I shall never forget. Passion, after all, finds its way through even the most cluttered of paths.
Tweets went viral, someone wrote good stuff about #OrendaByShalaka on Reddit, got two tattoos, attended three concerts, visited more embassies, theatres, and museums, listened to a month's worth of music, tried meeting as many friends, made hundreds of air-fried pani puris, took a thousand deeper breaths and of course, a million photographs.
I suppose all of the above kept me sane. My Instagram stories will concur the same.
You know, barely a dull day in 2024. Life unfolded between skies and soil. I tried reading between the lights.
I learnt that when people show you who they are, you should believe them. The ‘benefit of the doubt’ ka achar won’t serve you well. Struggled a lot but asked for help. Shrinking, after all, is sometimes just recalibrating to grow anew.
Some more quick learnings:
Gratitude >> Contentment >> Happiness
Discipline for the win, mindfulness for heartfulness
You get the best ripe avocados on Big Basket
Boundaries exist in the minds of people
Steer clear of working with friends whose work ethic doesn’t align with yours.
The 30s will hit you now and then. Sleep well. Stay hydrated.
Loving is like going to war, you never return the same.
I am glad I could live a life I am proud of.
My friends tell me I seem more equanimous than ever before, but perhaps it’s just a poetic way of saying:
“Gham aur khushi mein fark na mehsoos ho jahan,
main dil ko uss muqaam pe laata chala gaya.”
As 2024 wraps up its many layers, I am releasing this note a tad bit earlier than usual to take a break, travel less, put my head down and release the new book in time. Except for Coldplay LOL! :)
Intend to write for 365 days straight with a book of prompts. Will try and ‘mocha mousse’ my life in 2025 with the best of my buddies. You know who you are.
Aur haan, maine jo iss saal aasaman likha likha hai, may it find a home in your hearts.
I always want to live in sentences.
My own, yes. But yours, very much. ❤
Forever in awe,
Writeously yours,
Shalaka Kulkarni