The stories in ‘She Shines’ are like myriad precious stones in a necklace - strung together through a common thread, yet each stone has a shape and colour of its own. This common thread is resilience. The female gender throughout cultures, and perhaps through her own unique feminine stance, has borne the brunt of many impossible circumstances. Yet, within her, certain perseverance and forbearance exist, that can turn things around. The luminosity of light is appreciated because of the darkness surrounding it. It is this simple yet undeniable fact that threads through the stories in ‘She Shines’.

Our stories of resilience and victory are seasoned with two different flavours - the real and the surreal. For it is not just the real aspects of our daily lives that lend us an opportunity to win over challenges. But sometimes, the surreal aspect of the human experience may open one’s heart to a larger reality than ourselves.

The authors in this book have brought either or both of these aspects to their tales. When reading these stories, you will find a myriad spectrum. Tales of hope, determination, optimism, self-realization and faith raise their heads resolutely amidst geopolitical strife, illegal practices, unchartered territories, personal monsters, and everyday routines. Many are intermixed with surreal realms that defy conventional explanation. This book intends to give voice to the voiceless, bring hidden narrations of the happenings around us into limelight, and bring forth to you, dear readers - stories of a multitude of voices in the shadows.

A unique feature of these stories is that they are based on true events or have been inspired by actual happenings. These stories are compelling because all of us can relate to them in some form.