Stories are shringars for truth

When we were little, didn't we all delight in listening to stories, fables, and fairy tales? There was something magical about the way kings, queens, enchanted creatures, and faraway lands lit up our imaginations – leaving us with life lessons as we drifted off to sleep.

- Nitika Krishna

"Because stories — they make us who we are," says Laksh Maheshwari, storyteller, podcaster, and author, who is soon arriving in Hyderabad for his soul-stirring session, Ishq Sufiyana, on May 24 at Bhaskara Auditorium.

"The word 'Sufi' is used far too loosely nowadays, isn't it? Sufi night, Sufi this, Sufi that... but what does it really mean?" Laksh asks, adding, "My show focuses on the essence of Sufism, using stories to explore its core." Ishq Sufiyana is about one thing: gratitude. "Every day, around two lakh people don't wake up. But you and I do. Isn't that magic, right there?" he reflects.

As Laksh speaks, his words paint vivid pictures — full of candour, humility, and grace. But becoming the calm and composed person he is today took time. Born without a left hand, his early life was marked by struggle, including taunts from society and bullies, who said he'd never be enough. But his parents stood firmly by his side. "My dad was the storyteller of the family, always narrating tales and sher-o-shayari," Laksh says, smiling.