Spice Up – The coffee shop, Deep talks, soul connection – The life journey of a wonder woman, Ms. Nanda

Spice up - A small cozy cafe nestled in the most buzzing lane of Muthyalanagar. The owner of the cafe Ms. Nanda, greets her customers with a warm, infectious smile and serves them with the best delicacies. One random day, I came across their cafe and ordered a cutting masala chai. The moment I looked at her, a sense of peace and calmness washed over me. The cosy and compact cafe is always filled with the aroma of freshly prepared food, while the mellifluous “Om Namaha Shivaya” in the background radiates divine vibrations all around the cafe.

There is something about this cafe, I thought to myself. Our first few conversations were very short and casual. We bonded so well over the next few days, and after many cups of hot masala chai and yummy cheesy masala pav, we became soul sisters. The cafe is unanimously run by hardworking and dedicated Ms. Nanda and her siblings, who are selflessly helping her business to flourish. Ms. Nanda, flashing a beautiful smile on her face, proudly talks about her brother, who is her greatest source of strength and support and the person who has helped her establish a business empire of her own.

Ms. Nanda, with a twinkle in her eyes, describes her brother’s wonderful qualities and proudly calls him “The Captain of the Ship”, the one who holds the family together and who is a pillar of support to all the family members. Her elder sister, who is equally warm and gracious, is always present at her cafe. The whole family is the epitome of teamwork, dedication, and pure unconditional love. And I firmly believe it is their purity and their willingness to genuinely serve people, that makes them all so special.

I was intrigued to know more about her and her childhood, so we decided to discuss it over a hot cup of masala chai. Excerpts-

Ms. Nanda hails from a Rajasthani family who also happens to have their roots in Karnataka. She can fluently speak in more than 5 regional languages. She is the personification of humility, gratitude and immense wisdom. She also is an exemplification of the fact that the “inner wisdom is what matters the most and not the formal education we receive in our schools”. She believes “to truly succeed in our lives we first need to become good human beings”. Of course, basic knowledge, skills and tactics are all very important, but she thinks the virtues and values we inculcate throughout our lives make us all knowledgeable and successful in life. She says "Aakhir mein zindagi se bada teacher kaun ho sakta hain” chuckles softly. She has always been spiritually inclined since childhood and firmly believes that one has to lead a spiritually enriched life in order to become an evolved soul.

Her parting wisdom:

“Self worth depends on your conscience, so always make sure to listen to your Higher self.

Believe in your own self and always keep yourself happy and peaceful.”

As we concluded the discussion, we hugged each other, with tears in our eyes, smiled at each other and parted our ways. Our hearts were full. On my way back home I could only think of the mesmerizing conversation we had and how peaceful I felt after talking to her.

Sometimes, when we share a deep connection with someone, we communicate only through pleasant gestures and glances and exchange pure energies. This is one such pure friendship that I am going to cherish forever.

Ms. Nanda and family – You all are a bunch of amazing people and selfless souls. Blessed to have been associated with you.

Love, peace and light to all