Somewhere along the way, I learned that size in banking is often mistaken for significance. Large exposures can feel meaningful internally, yet remain invisible to the client. True relationships are not built on headline numbers or borrowed prestige, but on relevance—on whether, in the client’s world, you actually matter.
This Valentine’s Day, let us travel back nearly 4,000 years to ancient Sumer, where a bride whispered her passion to King Shu-Sin through The Love Song for Shu-Sin. “Bridegroom, dear to my heart, Goodly is your beauty, honeysweet… My precious caress is more savory than honey.” Composed long before the biblical Song of Songs, these words reveal that love, desire, and devotion are timeless. From clay tablets to chocolates, from whispered poems to modern Valentine’s cards, humans have always sought to speak to the heart. Today, we celebrate that eternal, universal language: love. ❤️
A casual weekend walk led to an unplanned culinary pause at Yuzu Restaurant, a newly opened Japanese eatery in my neighbourhood in Erbil. With no hunger but plenty of curiosity, I sampled shrimp and crab sushi rolls alongside a refreshing Matcha Raspberry drink—an experience rooted in simplicity, balance, and quiet satisfaction.
During Valentine’s week, a couple received a unique Blinkit delivery featuring interactive packaging: a colourable bouquet and a set of 32 words for crafting personal quotes. The writer struggled initially but employed ChatGPT for organisation. Ultimately, he created a heartfelt poem for his wife, illustrating the human essence in writing, despite AI's assistance.
A personal milestone. A long-cherished dream realised. I’m proud to share my book Echoes from Mesopotamia, recently published and launched at the Kolkata Book Fair (Boi Mela), 2026. Shaped by sixteen years in Iraq—the land often called the Cradle of Civilisation but one that became a second home—the book journeys through the myths and legends of Sumer, Akkad, and Assyria, drawn from research, lived experience, and quiet listening among the echoes of the Tigris and Euphrates. Seeing these echoes find a home between the covers of a book is a dream sixteen years in the making.
Passing through Hamad International Airport, I did not expect to find a sanctuary. Gillie and Marc’s Wildlife Wonderscapes halted my hurried stride, confronting me with bronze sentinels of endangered life. In that fleeting pause between departures and arrivals, art whispered a question that lingered long after: what will we choose to protect?
The Chhotanagpur plateau, home to the Asur tribe, reveals a rich cultural tapestry shaped by ancient metallurgical practices. Once adept at eco-friendly iron smelting, the Asurs, classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group, face declining traditions amid modern industrialisation. Despite cultural erosion and economic challenges, efforts to preserve their heritage are emerging, highlighting the importance of maintaining their unique connection to history and ecology.
At Delhi airport, amid echoing announcements and rolling suitcases, Aranjit pressed a signed copy of Call of the Wild into my hands. Years folded like wings. His stories drifted through me—moonlit verandas, creaking stairs, and that breathless pause where memory meets mystery, reminding me that friendship, like storytelling, survives distance and time in quiet, luminous, unforgettable shared moments together forever.
A quiet walk brought me to an empty Chinese tearoom in Erbil, where Ba Bao Cha—Eight Treasure Tea—slowly unfurled in a glass vessel, blending time and tranquility. Gentle sweetness, floral whispers, and stillness combined in a cup, transforming an unplanned pause into a lasting memory.
The journey to the Mahabodhi Temple offered serene moments of reflection during a ritual that honored Siddhartha’s spiritual path. Visiting the Dungeshwari Caves and the Niranjana River highlighted pivotal transformations in his quest for enlightenment. Ultimately, the trip became a meaningful pilgrimage, enriching the travelers through resilience, companionship, and introspection.
