Many readers, especially my close friends and relatives, have asked me how I remembered all these events. In all honesty, I do not have an answer. It feels as though God Almighty engraved certain moments into my memory, while many other parts of my life have faded. The people, the settings, even the smell of the air surrounding those events are still in my mind as if they happened just yesterday.
I have deep love and gratitude for everyone who helped me, whether in small ways or big. Those who supported me did so without expectation and without asking for anything in return. Many of those great souls have passed away. I always wanted to praise them—loudly, both in their presence and in their absence.
These stories are so profound that I have narrated them to my family and friends many times. Each time I shared them, I saw amazement in their eyes, and I myself was reminded of God’s mercy upon me. Those moments renewed my faith again and again. Over time, it became a calling inside me to write these experiences down so that more people could read them and, hopefully, feel inspired.
The decision to write the book was made several years ago. My son Nabeel also encouraged me to write. But it was easier said than done. I had a business to run, and I served as a director of outreach, traveling often for shows. Time was the one thing I did not have.
Several months ago, I finally sat down and noted some high-level points—dividing my life into four sections: Kerala, Delhi, Jeddah, and the USA. Once I created these sections, I began adding bullet points under each. This process took months. Even as the bullet list grew, I still couldn’t find the time to sit and write the actual chapters.
Then two things happened that pushed me to finally begin.
First, I realized that as long as I continued long-distance driving for wholesale trade shows, I would never be able to write. Those cross-country trips consumed a huge portion of my life—not just the driving, but packing, loading, setting up, winding down, unloading, and everything in between. I knew that if I continued down that path, I would never get to anything on my to-do list. With that realization, I decided to cut down on the shows this year. Eventually, I want to stop wholesale shows entirely.
Second, one of my customers, Julie Soper—a prolific writer—once heard me mention that I wanted to write a book. From that day on, she asked me about it every time she visited my warehouse. After a few reminders, I finally felt the push I needed.
Once I started writing the first chapter, I announced on my social media accounts that I was writing a book. I did this deliberately to make myself accountable. That public commitment helped me stay on track.
Another thing that kept me motivated was sharing each chapter with four of my relatives in India. At first, it was simply to make sure the events I was writing were accurate, since some of them were part of the extended family. They were amazed at the details and the style of writing. Their response encouraged me to continue.
Soon, they began asking for the next chapter if I delayed. That anticipation gave me even more motivation. Some chapters were written during my stay in Denver for the Gem Show, in the quiet evenings at my Airbnb after show hours.
Finally, all praises be to God—I was able to complete it.