HEY, I HAVE DEMENTIA!

A stranger sat beside me at IIT Delhi. We smiled. We introduced
ourselves. He asked why I was being felicitated. I started telling him
about my business, our artisans, Indian heritage, my books and my
journey. Then, after listening for a while, he said: “Sorry if I forget and
ask you again. I have dementia.” That sentence changed the entire
conversation. I stopped trying to tell him everything about myself. We
simply talked. Laughed. Enjoyed the moment. And that encounter left
me with a question much larger than the auditorium: In today’s world
of reels, notifications, information overload and endless scrolling,
how much of what we consume—or what others tell us—do we actually
remember? This is not a book equating dementia with ordinary
forgetfulness. It is a book about what that encounter taught me regarding:
Attention. Memory. Communication. Empathy. Relevance.
Listening. Human connection.
Why do people forget most of what brands communicate? Why do we keep talking about ourselves
when the listener wants relevance? Why are we physically present but mentally inside our phones?
Why should someone give us thirty minutes if we cannot earn their first thirty seconds? And most
importantly: Does every good conversation even need to be remembered tomorrow? Perhaps some
moments have fulfilled their purpose simply because they made someone smile today. This book
asks us to communicate differently. To speak less and connect more. To listen before explaining. To
respect attention. To make our stories relevant to others. To treat people living with dementia with
patience and dignity. And to rediscover the extraordinary power of simply being fully present with
another human being. Because ultimately, people may forget your designation. They may forget
your achievements. They may forget your words. But while they are with you— MAKE THE
MOMENT ITSELF ENOUGH.