Dedicated to all who are still grieving in a hidden limbo…

There are many in my LinkedIn family who lost their loved and dear ones during the first and second wave of Covid-19 and numerous expat work professionals like me who were unable to pay the last tribute due to the travel lockdowns. For the first time in our lives, we were all grieving in isolation. As adults, we keep quiet to not discredit ourselves as "weak" or compare ourselves with others who have been through worse. Finding meaning is not usually possible in the early stages of grief, but as you mature on your grief journey, you may find ways of using your experience as a tool for helping others. As human beings we need to tell our story, and be listened to, so that it can become one of healing, and hope.

The urge to write hit me rather late, following the cathartic departure of my guru, friend and mentor, my father, whom I lost in April 2021. Writing helped me disclose everything in a secure environment by jotting it all down—my anger, remorse, resentment, sorrow, and despair—and in return, it gave me happiness, serenity, and peace. This book “Route 78 – A road full of memories”, has been a long time coming. It has been a journey. Not an easy one. A road that really was not smooth for a man from sales and marketing like me. This book is that journey in words, thoughts and moments that may never come back, but perhaps their simplicity, worth and wisdom will find a wounded heart looking to heal...

This book is dedicated to everyone on LinkedIn who didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. We are family!

A Disclaimer from the Author -

"It is a simple, rather plain narrative of a traditional Bengali family staying in Delhi, with simple middle-class values, simple joys, and simple everyday challenges. This book might nudge you to thank your parents more often, to spend that extra weekend with them, and go on that holiday more often. I pray this book works to remind you that time is relentless. It does not turn back for anyone and today is as good a day as any to do the right thing…"