Literary Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Multicultural Fiction
Date Published: September 27, 2022
Publisher: Koehler Books
Finalist for the 2022 American Fiction Awards for Multicultural
Fiction
Anji is forty-one, single, of Indian origin, and grew up in Colombia. Now a
successful journalist in New York City, she’s missing only love in her
life. Then a vision reveals her soul mate; he calls her “lonely
dove”—two words that describe her perfectly—but she cannot
see his face. Determined to find this mysterious man, she draws on all her
work and personal resources to find him.
As Anji embraces the signs and visions she receives, she discovers a need
to heal from her past relationships. Will she ever find her twin
flame—and will she be ready when she does?
EXCERPT
“Anji had loved all things bright and beautiful, especially her beloved Bollywood movies and Latin American telenovelas, where the girl always got the guy of her dreams. Anji had spent her lifetime wishing, with every fiber of her being, for her happily ever after, certain it would happen when her soulmate appeared.
Now aged forty-one and still single, she thought of how gullible she had been to be conned by the idea of soulmates, much less to think she would marry the person. She had learned that life was filled with eternal struggles to find her soulmate. Her frustration reached a new level after she’d had that vision a couple of weeks before. That, and this meeting with Danny, felt like unnecessary provocations, the universe daring her to hold onto the childish notion.”
February 7, 2019
She stood on the platform waiting for a train. The man standing on the opposite platform seemed familiar but she couldn’t get a good look. His face was hidden behind a hoodie and he peered down at a book in his hands.
She tried to call out to him. When she opened her mouth, there was no sound. She tried to clear her throat. Even that didn’t make a sound. She grasped at her throat, wondering what had happened to her voice.
A train whistled in the distance. She raised her hand to get his attention. He didn’t look up. He still didn’t notice when she waved. Her hands motioned ever more fervently as she jumped up and down, but to no avail. The train pulled into the platform. He got on the train and took a seat without glancing at her.
As the train chugged away, a pair of dark eyes loomed into sight, blocking her view. A hairless wrinkled face spoke one word,“Exorcismo.”
Anji sat with a jolt and opened her eyes. As she focused on the evening sky and the leaves overhead, she realized she was sitting on a bench in the Parque del Retiro. Alone.
Anji had gotten a vision. Again. She had gone back to the Parque del Retiro for a walk. She’d had several long workdays, and Josh had called her a second time to bug her about the piece on dreams. He hadn’t been so persistent before, but then again, she hadn’t been so resistant to discuss what she was working on.
Anji needed her head to be screwed back onto her body and thought a short meditation would help. It had worked until she got the vision with the taunting face of the Romani woman. Anji was covered in cold sweat.
The first time Anji got a vision was the morning of January 26, and it had come to her in a similar way as it had that afternoon. Instead of lying on a park bench, she’d lain on a rock in Central Park. When she went to her rock in New York she got a sense of peace, and she tried to recreate the same feeling again, that day, in the Parque del Retiro, but it hadn’t worked.
Anji wondered if her visions were hypnagogic. The visions were vivid, almost real, which is how Danny described his dreams. Danny told her he entered them easily. He lay still, cleared his mind, and set the intention to go into a hypnagogic state. After a few deep breaths, he found himself in a semi-conscious dream.
On the other hand, Anji didn’t intend to enter anything other than calmness. She had meditated and without her awareness, the vision had appeared. She didn’t have to try.
The first vision had left her feeling elated. She wished it was real. When her mystery soulmate had whispered, “my lonely dove,” a surge had coursed through her. The connection to the man in her dream was unlike any she’d felt before. She had wanted to stay with him. She didn’t care that she hadn’t been able to see his face. There was something about him that had felt familiar. Most of all, she had felt loved. Despite the weight of her forty-one years, the vision had made her feel she might still have a chance. It had awakened a hope in her that she hadn’t felt in a long time. She wondered if it was a sign, a confirmation that she was destined to find her soulmate.
About the Author
Sonee Singh is a cross-cultural seeker of deep knowing. She is of Indian
descent, born in Mexico, raised in Colombia, and resides in the United
States. Sonee writes stories of self-discovery to encourage people to accept
themselves and live life on their own terms. The mystical and spiritual are
integral in her storytelling, as is her multicultural background. When not
traveling, reading, or writing, she indulges in meditation, yoga, and
aromatherapy. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in biology and society, a Master
of Management in hospitality from Cornell University, and a Master of
Science in complementary alternative medicine from American College of
Healthcare Sciences. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Divinity from the
University of Metaphysical Sciences. Sonee has published the Soul-Seeker
Collection of poetry: Embody, Embrace, and Embolden. She has been published
in two anthologies: Blessing the Page and The Colours of Me. She has
multiple articles published in Elephant Journal.
Contact Links
Purchase Links
