Upon reflection, I get this strong feeling that it is the house on street 47’s karma to be a space of silence for us all. The very idea of holding ‘awakin’ materialized on its own and out of a casual afternoon conversation.

It’s been almost a year and that ‘silent space’ is home to both veteran and novel seekers. Every ‘awakin’ has its own unique charm. I remember the very first one where Adhar arrived an hour early and instantly fell in love with the garden. He spent almost thirty minutes soaking in the beauty while I fried ‘papads’ in anticipation of the rest. Neha, a very dear friend led us, and the evening that unfolded was such that there is no turning back. For the second ‘awakin’, Ajyinka arrived puffing and panting having walked from the bus station to the house. Of course, it’s only two km, but to do that in Dubai heat definitely requires a greater inner call. Sabiha aunty is the soul of these evenings with her graceful presence and wisdom. We’ve even had the privilege of sharing this space with aunty Karoona and uncle Neelkanth, who in all kindness prepared his much complemented, 'dahi aloo'’. These evenings have given us ‘food for the soul’ where we look within and find pieces of ourselves in each other. Sometimes we’ve called it a day with a song and other times with deep reflection.

Having Nipun, the very founder of these circles in this house was a dream come true. What stood out as truly remarkable is his humility and ever loving nature. His kindness stories transported us to Mount Fuji in Japan, California highway, rural India and to the days of the Buddha. Serenity permeated in the very air and every word shared was deep knowledge. ‘Be both the giver and the recipient of kindness’, was his message all through.

This house will continue to be that open space of pure  love where hearts can strike a harmonious chord and  truly make a difference!