A quiet gesture from a friend, and a moment that made the book feel real.
Some moments arrive quietly, but stay for a long time.
Today, I received a photograph that became one such moment for me.
The first paperback copy of my book, Old Currency in a New World: Understanding Karma in Modern Life, has landed in Singapore. And it came as a complete surprise.
A dear friend, Hiral Kakaiya, quietly ordered the book and had it delivered here. I had no idea he had done this. I had not even sent him the promotional message personally.
That is what made the gesture even more meaningful.
I first met Hiral a few months ago at Yummy Punjabi. We were there for a Samaroh session, and he had come with his family for dinner. His children joined in impromptu, music happened naturally, and somehow a connection was formed.
Later, we met again for coffee at Cafe Wabi Sabi in Joo Chiat. What was meant to be a short meeting before my rehearsal turned into more than an hour of deeply meaningful conversation. We spoke about life, work, family, clarity, responsibility, and the journeys that quietly shape us.
Time seemed to disappear.
The next morning, I remember telling him that listening to his life story gave me more conviction in my own learnings. He responded with something that stayed with me:
“It was a rare conversation, the kind where two stories meet and something clicks.”
That sentence beautifully captured what I had also felt.
During that meeting, I had mentioned that my book on Karma was about to be published. After that, life moved on. The book was launched. I shared it on social media. But I somehow missed sending the link to him directly.
Yet, he noticed it.
He picked it up from social media, ordered the paperback quietly, and today sent me a photograph of the first physical copy that has reached Singapore.
For an author, a physical book is different.
A manuscript can sit on a screen. A thought can live in notes. A chapter can be revised endlessly. But when a book reaches someone’s hand, something changes. It becomes real in a new way.
A thought that lived quietly within me for many years has now taken the form of a printed book, travelled across borders, and arrived in Singapore through the kindness of a friend.
That is not merely a delivery.
It is a small but deeply meaningful affirmation.
Thank you, Hiral, for this thoughtful gesture, your encouragement, and for making the first paperback arrival in Singapore so memorable.
I will always remember this photograph.
Old Currency in a New World
A book for reflection, not fear.
— K. Srinivas Patnaik