Hyderabad, June 26 -- I almost wasn't.Intriguing sentence, that sounds broken. Yes, it is. In reality, it is the name of a book written by Ismat Mehdi, a writer, social activist, globe-trotter, and philanthropist.

During the release of the book on Tuesday (June 24, 2025) at the iconic Saptaparni on Road Number 8 of Banjara Hills, the open space was bursting at the seams (in fact it is boundary-less). Since there were more people than it could contain it appeared crowded.

Remember, it was not a musical show, a dance performance, or a mushaira, still people wanted to be part of the event. It is Ms Mehdi's popularity. People continued to stream in till after the given time. As soon as the mehfil got ready to take off, there were unexpected...