A lesson in perseverance and power of love to cope with life's trials

An inspiring memoir of faith, courage, and resilience against life's harshest trials.

- Maj Gen Dhruv C. Katoch

Once upon a time, there was a young girl who, like millions of other girls her age, had dreams in her eyes. Her parents called her Charulata, but to her friends and the wider world, she was known as Charu. Raised in a beautiful home in Malabar Hill, one of India's most exclusive and prestigious residential districts in South Mumbai, she often gazed at the Arabian Sea, dreaming of her future. Naturally caring, she was sometimes teased by her sister and friends for being overly emotional and easily moved by others' pain. At a very young age, she developed a deep faith in God. Later, when facing challenges that might have overwhelmed most, she persevered. Her faith in God remained unwavering.

This book is her extraordinary story of living with a debilitating disease that immobilized her, but could not break her spirit.

Publisher: Rupa Publications India (24 May 2025) Language: English
Hardcover, 192 pages.

She fell in love while still at university and married the man of her dreams. That alone was an adventure. Her husband was a man any woman would envy, shaped in the image of Bollywood heroes: caring, loving, empathetic, and very attentive to her needs. She could not have asked for more. She was living the fairy-tale life, and she was the princess. Then, when only 20 years old, life dealt her a cruel blow.