Several years ago I was sitting at a Members Day programme in the Catholic Club along with the then Bishop Bernard Moras and Msgr Jayanathan the Parish priest of St. Patrick’s Parish, Bangalore. Both of them said to me,” Can you not start some programme in the club which is to do with education rather than just the dance and drinking programmes?”

I thought about it and nothing really crossed my mind.

Then a young friend asked me to join a book club she had begun in a coffee shop, in a mall.I went for it and found it too ad hoc for structured me. I wanted something more regular and more focussed and that how I decided to speak to the Members in charge of the Catholic Club and begin a club there, which would give us a base to operate from. I was also able to request them to give it to us for free and allow outsiders to attend, not just club members. They agreed, and iBrowse was born.

I ran it in the club, giving a plethora of authors a great, free platform to showcase their books, both fiction and non- fiction and seven years went by in a flash. But then time and tide waits for no one and the new committee decided that the book club had to bring in money to the club. That clashed with my idea of a book club and I gifted the brand and the name to the club and moved out.

As we all know, if one door closes several more open and immediately I began a book club in the goan restaurant, Nossa Goa, on Castle Street. It began with a bang with Priya Bala’s brand new book -- ‘Secret Sauce’. The space welcomes around 30- 35 people only and it became that much more intimate and interactive. My heart swelled with joy after the first event, as not only was it in my own former home, but the vibes from all the new crowd was so reassuring and uplifting. So Book Bound was born and we have already had three wonderful events since it’s inception.

Then one day, last week, I was contacted by an former student, intimating me about a brand new space called Kafnu, opening up and they were giving the space out for free for a couple of weeks for any creative soul, who wanted to showcase their skills. What a stunningly beautiful space.The second door opening and really wide too! What an amazing feeling.

The book club I have called Page Turners and we are about to roll on the 15th of September with an event with my lucky icon -- Priya Bala and Jayanth Narayan and their book ‘Secret Sauce’. We are furiously working e-invites and will rev up a FB page and abra-cadabra, we hope to have a small yet interactive turnout.

I have always believed in myself. Always. Be true to what your vision is and if it does not work out, move on, other doors will open for you, and they have! Not ONE but TWO!!