An interview with Ekta Bajaj – Compulsive Reader

Interview by Sinéad Gosai

Your new novel, Let The Fish Fly, was published in September. Can you tell us about the themes it explores and what you hope readers take away from it?

The central theme of Let The Fish Fly is simple yet transformative, we all have the choice to live the life we’ve been given, either with burden or with grace.

According to Vedanta, our body and the circumstances we are born into are the result of our past karmas. The soul, at the moment it leaves one life, carries a certain state of consciousness that shapes its next birth, its lessons, experiences, and relationships. Every lifetime, therefore, is a self-designed journey of learning and evolution. Yet, when the soul enters the body, it forgets this plan. The illusion of struggle feels so real that we lose sight of the deeper purpose behind it. This is how we get trapped in the continuous cycle of cause and effect, of birth, death, and rebirth.

The only way to transcend this cycle is through self-knowledge. When the soul realises that the true battle lies within, life transforms. Struggles become teachers; pain becomes growth. That awareness, the ability to view life from the soul’s vantage point, is the quiet liberation my book seeks to illuminate.

In Let The Fish Fly, I’ve fictionalised my own spiritual experiences of past-life visions and the wisdom they revealed. The story follows Naina Sehgal, a 24-year-old woman who feels lost and disillusioned. Her journey takes her to the Himalayas, where she discovers a series of letters left behind by her grandmother. Each letter tells the story of a woman who encountered her own “Kali Moment”, a turning point where she chose to follow her inner voice. Through these stories, Naina begins to realise that she too holds the power to choose differently, to live consciously rather than reactively.

That is what I hope readers take away, that we all have the ability to awaken to our inner power, to see life not as a series of random struggles but as sacred opportunities for growth. Once we begin to live with that awareness, the soul remembers its purpose, and life itself becomes an act of grace.

The book encourages readers to follow their inner voice. What does that look like in a practical, day-to-day sense?

The inner voice is the voice of truth. It doesn’t always say what we want to hear, but it always tells us what we need to. It is gentle yet unwaveringly honest. Most of us ignore it because it often asks us to face the parts of ourselves, we’d rather avoid, the pain, the unresolved emotions, and the fears we’ve hidden away.

When we start to listen, it initiates a process of deep inner cleansing. The closets of our soul open, and everything buried begins to surface. This can feel uncomfortable, even painful, but that discomfort is sacred, it is the soul’s way of creating space for clarity, healing, and peace.

In everyday life, following your inner voice means having the courage to live truthfully and with utmost honesty. It’s about resolving conflicts by first looking within, contemplating the roots of discomfort in yourself rather than blaming people or circumstances. It’s about living with discipline and self-awareness, being kind, holding space for empathy, and yet having the strength and resilience to speak your truth and stand against injustice.

Let The Fish Fly encourages readers to embrace this inner journey, to face their shadows with courage and faith, knowing that every layer of truth uncovered brings them closer to peace, authenticity, and freedom.

How has writing this novel changed your own relationship with purpose, calm, or personal satisfaction?

Writing Let The Fish Fly has been a deeply healing and transformative journey for me. Because it draws from my own spiritual experiences, the process allowed me to relive those moments through Naina’s eyes and uncover new layers of wisdom. The lessons from my past lives resurfaced, and I found myself observing the greater blueprint of my soul’s journey with clarity and calm.

During this time, the esoteric conversations I’ve had with enlightened souls, in dreams, meditations, and visions, became even more vivid and profound. In many ways, this book feels like the sum total of my soul’s evolution, not just from this lifetime but through many lifetimes.

That understanding brings me a deep sense of contentment and peace, as though one chapter of my soul’s purpose has been fulfilled. Yet, I also know that the Masters of the Parallel World still have more to reveal. You will find glimpses of those realms in Let The Fish Fly and in the books that will follow.

Every book I write emerges from lived spiritual experience. For now, my soul rests in stillness, preparing, perhaps, for the next dimension it may be called to explore, if the universe chooses me once again to be its medium of expression.

You draw from the Upanishads and other ancient texts – how do these teachings help you navigate modern life’s challenges?

I’ve always been deeply drawn to the ancient Indian Vedic texts and the vast reservoir of wisdom they hold. Every meaningful piece of knowledge I’ve encountered seems, in some way, to trace its roots back to these scriptures. Our ancestors were, in essence, spiritual scientists,  they understood the anatomy of the body, the cosmos, philosophy, art, and psychology with an astonishing depth that continues to guide us today.

The Vedas are profound and complex, but the Upanishads make that wisdom more accessible to the seeker. Their structure, built through stories, dialogues, and reflection, makes contemplation a living, breathing process. I was so inspired by this format that I adopted a similar narrative rhythm in Let The Fish Fly, weaving philosophical ideas through stories and personal transformation.

The teachings of Vedanta have brought immense clarity to my life. They’ve helped me understand not just the physical self but also the emotional body that surrounds it. I’ve learned to stay aware of my thoughts, to recognise which ones disturb the mind and which bring peace. This awareness has made me emotionally balanced and spiritually grounded.

Viewing life through an esoteric lens has transformed my priorities. Peace has become more important than validation, and I’ve learned to choose my battles with wisdom rather than reaction. Ancient wisdom, when applied with awareness, doesn’t separate you from the modern world, it helps you live within it with calm, clarity, and grace.

You’ve spoken about the “masks” women wear (mother, wife, daughter). How do you personally navigate these roles, and what have you learned about managing the expectations that come with them?

Women are born with a natural nurturing energy. No matter what role they play, as mothers, daughters, or partners, that essence of empathy travels with them. Yet, alongside this gentleness, women also carry a fierce heart, deep intuition, and an innate resilience. They can be fearless and compassionate at once.

Society, however, often confines women within the roles they play, forgetting that these are only expressions of a much greater energy. Each role is sacred, mothers shape generations, daughters carry forward wisdom, and partners become anchors of emotional balance. But these roles can be lived fully only when a woman recognises that, first and foremost, she is a carrier of light. She holds within her the responsibility of shaping humanity’s consciousness.

Expectations become burdens only when they come from the outside. When they stem from inner understanding, they transform into acts of purpose. That is why I believe before we shout for equality, we must first understand the source of our power, the divine feminine energy from which we all emerge.

Personally, I meditate on Shakti and Kali, the energies I’m most connected to. They are fierce yet compassionate, capable of both enduring and transforming. That balance inspires me every day. For me, it’s not about feminism in its political sense, it’s about honouring the feminine. The goal isn’t to compete with men but to awaken the inner Kali, the warrior within who leads with love, justice, and unity.

You’ve talked openly about your experiences with past life visions, often preceded by the scent of sandalwood. What do these “Kali Moments” mean to you, and how have they shaped your personal and creative journey?

For me, spirituality isn’t something we become, it’s how we live. It’s about awareness, about remembering that we are souls experiencing life through the body. Every moment and every relationship becomes an opportunity for the soul to grow and evolve.

When we are aligned within, our intuition strengthens. The inner voice starts to whisper, sometimes as a gentle nudge, sometimes as a persistent thought, asking us to pause, reflect, and listen. When we finally surrender to that voice, despite all logic, something shifts. That moment of surrender and transformation is what I call a Kali Moment.

It’s the point when the soul refuses to stay silent, when the energy of courage and clarity rises within, guiding us to act from truth. In ancient Vedic texts, Kali’s Shakti is said to carry the fragrance of sandalwood. I’ve often sensed that same scent during my own transformative moments, which is why I see it as a sacred sign of her presence.

These moments aren’t always easy. They pull you into your shadows, your fears, anger, and pain. But if you walk through that darkness with awareness, new creative portals open. Words, art, and wisdom begin to flow as if from another realm. That’s exactly how The Voice of Kali and later Let the Fish Fly came to life for me. The feminine dimension within us holds infinite portals of creation, we just need to find the courage to open them.

You’ve said that you believe all women are manifestations of the goddess Kali. How do you interpret that idea in your daily life and in your writing?

According to ancient Indian wisdom, all humans are manifestations of energy. On its own, energy is just vibration, pure consciousness. When this energy takes form through the human body, it channels itself through two primary forces: the feminine and the masculine. The purpose of life is to bring these energies into harmony within ourselves. Each of us has a unique balance point, and this has nothing to do with gender. A man may express more of the feminine through creativity and sensitivity, while a woman may embody more of the masculine through logic and action.

For me, the source of both these forces is the goddess Kali, she is the essence of balance. Her energy is fierce yet compassionate, powerful yet nurturing. She represents the complete circle of creation, destruction, and renewal. Across cultures, society has long misunderstood feminine energy as weakness. That belief suppresses the inner warrior spirit women are born with. Through my writing, I want to awaken that consciousness, to help women recognise their inner Kali and channel her energy to live with purpose and balance.

When women connect with this energy, they awaken a deeper clarity and wisdom. They become creators and leaders, not through dominance, but through empathy and grace. I believe the future of our world will be shaped by Shakti, the feminine force that can guide creation toward healing, harmony, and higher purpose.

How do you hope your spiritual experiences might serve as inspiration or guidance for readers seeking their own connection to spirituality?

I carry immense gratitude for the spiritual guidance I’ve received throughout my life. From a very young age, I was aware of an unseen force, flashes of events before they happened, visions that came in dreams or moments of silence. As a child, I believed everyone experienced them, but by the age of twelve, I realised they were unique to me. I confided only in my mother, who encouraged me to treat these experiences with love and respect.

As I grew older, the visions deepened and became clearer. I have always been open about my faith in spirituality and ancient Indian wisdom, yet I guarded my personal experiences carefully, not out of fear, but reverence. Then came a time when my inner voice insisted that it was no longer enough to keep them private. I needed to write and share them. The moment I surrendered to that calling, words flowed effortlessly. My books, I believe, came through me, not by me.

My intention in sharing these experiences isn’t to claim any special gift or glory. It’s to remind people that spirituality doesn’t require withdrawal from the world. It can be lived and nurtured amidst ordinary life, within families, work, and daily challenges. When approached with awareness and discipline, it doesn’t distance us from life; it deepens it. Our relationships become more authentic, our ambitions clearer, and our sense of fulfilment far greater.

That’s what I hope readers take away, that the sacred is not somewhere distant. It’s right here, waiting to be remembered in the midst of everyday living.

Let The Fish Fly is available to buy online now