Jahnavi Kocha

Dear Fellow Travellers, In this journey of life, one of the most interesting expeditions is no doubt, the teen age. This is all about being individual, growing confidence in one self, establishing ones imprint and evolving from the cocoon to the butterfly. It is said that the shearing of the cocoon is a painful task. Every single tug, pull, arm flexing and kick against the constrictions of its shell alone sets the butterfly free. Rainbows of colour seep into its wings. Its limbs strengthen to take flight. Freedom. To be. Setting Stuff On Fire is reminiscent of just that. The shearing off. The coming of age. The spread of the hues in the wings. The conviction that now, I can Fly. Jahnavi, as I skimmed the pages of your dear doodlings, I realised the strength that you have derived from your home and the anchoring of your values at school. I see the grateful ness with which you approach life and the reticence with which you have accommodated loss. May your writings always be like the pristine waters of a clear lake, and tell the world with boldness tempered by love, just how much you have to still share with it and how much you care. Fellow travellers, may I entreat with you to lay your burdens down for brief moments, and share a goblet of reading with me. It will see Jahnavi, the young seeker, go far. Sudeshna Chaterjee, Principal, Jamnabai Narsee School, Mumbai.