Book recalls Covid quarantine times

Home Quarantine: My Story written by Dr Shalini Gupta Kumar was launched by HH Sayyida Susan al Said at Bait Muzna Gallery.

The book reflects on how in today's digital world with so many challenges, it is very difficult to keep focused and remain positive in all situations. “This book is an endeavor to deliver the message of positivity through art and poetry during any adverse conditions like pandemic related quarantine,” said Dr Shalini. The book has paintings and poetry in three languages on each page. There are 39 poems sprinkled across 80 pages. Its theme was chosen to showcase Dr Shalini’s world during home quarantine after her travel from the US to Oman.

“I express my own story but I am sure it is similar to all those numerous people who faced home quarantine during Covid-19 times. I sketched and painted my emotions and actions using pen, ink and watercolours. I wrote poems to complement my drawings. When you would read poems, the picture painted adjacent would talk to you connecting your heart and soul, your own emotions and story,” she said.

This book is thought provoking even for children with its varied characters illustrated through art and poetry. “I thoroughly enjoyed making this book. Hope you enjoy even more while flipping through its pages and reading it, said Dr Shalini, who hails from India's Uttar Pradesh.

“She is a good example for all of us, not just during quarantine but for all times. And I appreciate that,” said HH Sayyida Susan al Said, before launching the book. She appreciated the author as an artist as well.

"I am humbled and pleased about my first venture into publishing. This book is not for me but to all my friends and readers. Without great solitude no serious work is possible - goes the saying. This book is a result of my solitude during the Corona times,” the author said.

According to Dr Shalini, the venture started with the intention of making a sketchbook for an upcoming art exhibition during that time. “After the exhibition I immediately started to work on it by adding more pages to it.” It took her three years to get the book into publication.

After writing in her mother tongue Hindi, Dr Shalini translated it into English. Dr Mohammed al Rawahi, Claude Farhat and Nesrien Elsaid also translated some portions into English. Dr Shalini, Rachit Kumar and Dr Al Rawahy also narrated some of the poems to the audience present at the launch. Dr Al Rawahy said the book connects you very well to the small things — like birds, lizards, places of Oman like mosques, Omantel Towers, and workers.

Dr Shalini is a veteran artist, curator, poet, certified laughter yoga teacher, socialite. She loves dancing and acting too. She has conducted so far five solo exhibitions in Oman, Russia and India. She paints in all media, but she is an acrylic lover and an abstract artist and expressionist. She earned many awards for her works. As a poet she has been part of six anthology poetry books in Hindi. “To be creative is the voice of her inner soul and the only way of her life. She portrays her emotions, surroundings and happenings with poetry and arts in a contemporary way,” she said