"The book is like a typical Indian handloom cloth, which is rich with vibrant shades of cultures and its people. Earlier, belonging to a police officer’s family, and then later in life experiencing a defence family life, I had ample opportunities to see the different parts of India, its people, and their culture from close quarters. The story of Manju, the domestic worker, is from my very early experience in life, but Manju always stayed in my mind. In fact, I was overwhelmed to see Manju’s excitement and devotion towards her studies, in spite of leading a hard life. Further, I was again full of mixed emotions when I met the singing soldier, Assistant Commandant Ram Singh, the bandmaster of the UP police brass band, who earlier belonged to Netaji’s Azad Hind Fauj. He was struggling in the evening of his life to keep his honour intact. I felt sorry seeing his miserable condition and how nowadays politicians make their own people suffer because of their own interests, ego, and power, completely forgetting people’s sacrifice towards our country. The character sketch of my grandmother, “Badi Amma”, has been introduced to the new generation, who has been missing the Dada and Dadi of old times. Nowadays, they have been given a new look, as dependent senior citizens. VIBGYOR INDICA 9 During the journey of my life, I had a chance to meet Magician Sarkaar, who during a short chat introduced me to the intricacies of a magic show. As our country is woven into beautiful colours of craft, sometimes, it is amazing to see the perfectness and dexterity of completely illiterate weavers. You get amazed when you come to know about the ikat art of weaving of the Andhra (now Telangana) region. The thread of the cloth is dyed in different shades at different points with accurate measurement. So, while weaving, it reaches the exact point to create a vibrant geometrical design, which is really rare to find. Another Indian craft, which has taken the form of industry is the industry of pearls in Hyderabad. In fact, the laborious needling of the pearls of Hyderabad, one may not find anywhere else in India, or anywhere else in the world. India’s magical strength can also be noticed in numbers, which is explored in the chapter “The Game of Numbers” on Hindu Mathematics. Though we have advanced miles from the ancient mathematical system, it is a fact that the theory of zero and the atomic theory of philosophers, such as “Kanad”, which literally means “smallest particle”, helped the world advance with great speed. VIBGYOR INDICA 10 Throughout the year, our country celebrates a lot of festivals, but the festival that really gives a hue of all the colours, of art and craft mixed together, gives us an experience of a rainbow of happiness, and takes away all our sorrows in a short time, is actually the festival of Holi, which is celebrated during spring all over the country. In the end, the readers can enjoy the experience of a nondrinker and vegetarian member of a defence cocktail party. Where all my excitement fizzles out. Though the chapter is a bit apart from normal Indian life, it allows the reader a sneak peek into some other aspects of the family life of one of the wings of the defence forces. In the end, I want to thank my grandson, Ishaan Dikshit.