The Literature Times: What inspired you to write Surang – Mujhse Mujh Hi Tak, and how does the metaphor of a “tunnel” reflect your personal journey?
Rekha Vinit: I wrote this to share that self-compassion is the ultimate freedom. I came to understand that only a heart filled with compassion has the strength to be selfless and the capacity to love unconditionally. The ‘tunnel’ reflects the dark passage of our internal insecurities; I intended this book to be a torch for fellow travelers (*Pathiks*) to find hope and the courage to look within, rather than blaming the world for their darkness
The Literature Times: Your book feels like a conversation with the self. When did you first begin this inward dialogue in your own life?
Rekha Vinit: As an INFJ, I was always introspective, but the dialogue deepened into a spiritual transformation during COVID in Manila. Through the Gita and Bhakti Sutras, I realized that true freedom begins when we stop blaming others and take full responsibility for our own emotions—only then do we have the power to direct our own lives.
The Literature Times: The sections—Bawra Man, Vedna, and Milan—trace a powerful emotional arc. How did you conceptualize this structure?
Rekha Vinit: To me, the structure of Bawra Man, Vedna, and Milan wasn’t a calculated literary choice; it is the natural, omnipresent arc of the human experience. Bliss (Milan) can only be realized after losing the ego and worldly attachments through the fire of suffering (Vedna). We start with a restless mind (Bawra Man), but we must empty the heart of ‘modern litter’ to finally allow the Divine to enter.
The Literature Times: You describe yourself as a Sadhak and Pathik. How have these identities influenced your writing and creative process?
Rekha Vinit: It keeps me grounded; it reminds me that a *Pathik* never stops at the bondage of ego or past achievements. I see myself merely as a medium through which these words flow. It is my duty to spread the wisdom exactly as I receive it, staying true to the journey rather than the destination.
The Literature Times: Your transition from engineering to poetry is inspiring. What drew you from the logical world into the spiritual and expressive one?
Rekha Vinit: After leaving my career to move to Germany in 2001, my focus shifted from external structures to internal exploration. As an INFJ, I was always listening to my inner voice; when I began putting those observations onto paper, the engineer naturally became a poet in search of her own truth.
The Literature Times: Many poems explore themes of societal duality and inner conflict. Were these reflections shaped by personal experiences or observations?
Rekha Vinit: While societal duality is an obvious external observation, inner conflict is something we can only truly confront within ourselves. My reflections were shaped by witnessing the ‘double-faced’ nature of the world, which forced me to stop being a silent spectator and start addressing the void in my own heart.
The Literature Times: Your work emphasizes self-compassion and stillness. Why do you think these are often overlooked in today’s fast-paced life?
Rekha Vinit: It’s not just overlooked; it has become an ‘alien’ concept. We have loaded ourselves with the ‘litter’ of modernization so heavily that we no longer see the truth. We have mistaken the frantic pace of modern life for the only reality, losing the ability to turn ourselves inward.
The Literature Times: How does your platform, Kushal Mangalya, contribute to your mission of connecting daily life with spiritual depth?
Rekha Vinit: As a life coach, my intention is to use *Kushal Mangalya*—which is still in its ‘baby’ stage—to transform lives. It is a space designed to bridge daily struggles with spiritual depth, helping others find the same internal stillness that my own journey revealed to me.
The Literature Times: Looking back at your award-winning debut Band Khidkiyan, how has your voice evolved in Surang?
Rekha Vinit: The voice has shifted from ‘taking control’ of happiness in the material world to ‘becoming’ the happiness by dissolving the ego. *Band Khidkiyan* ends with a proclamation (*Udghosh*) that serves as the starting point for *Surang*—the transition from seeking external freedom to realizing internal bliss.
The Literature Times: What do you hope readers discover about themselves as they journey through this ‘Surang’ with you?
Rekha Vinit: I hope readers discover their own truth and recognize exactly where they stand at this very moment. Before anyone can move forward, they must have the courage to identify and accept their current reality. You cannot find the way out of the tunnel until you are honest about being inside it.
