Navi Mumbai: Under the aegis of Akhil Bharatiya Agnishamanch, the book launch ceremony of Dr. Alka Pandey’s 15th book, the short story collection “Ret Ka Mahal”, along with a book discussion and poetry symposium, was successfully organized on 10 December 2025 at Hotel Highway View, Shikara Restaurant, Sanpada, Navi Mumbai.
The event was presided over by Dayanand Tiwari, with Manju Lodha as the Chief Guest, Ramkumar Pal as the Special Guest, Pawan Tiwari as the Key Speaker, and speakers Seva Sadan, Kanak Lata Tiwari, and Ashwin Pandey. The ceremony was graced by Alka Pandey (the honoree), publisher Ramkumar Tripathi, senior journalist Premendra Singh, and Kamlesh Gupta. The stage proceedings were conducted by Kumar Jain.
While discussing the book, Chairman Dayanand Tiwari said that “Ret Ka Mahal” is a legacy of values and must be read. The central theme of all the stories revolves around women—women who face betrayal yet do not break, who trust themselves and move forward. Dr. Pandey has presented not only the struggles but also positive outcomes, offering readers inspiration to rise above despair. He added that all the stories are engaging, meaningful, and highly readable.
Pawan Tiwari remarked that the book contains 18 stories, some of which are excellent while a few are memoir-like. All stories are filled with deep emotions and are rooted in reality rather than imagination, offering readers a fresh perspective. He expressed that he sees new creative possibilities in Alka Pandey as a writer.
Seva Sadan stated that these stories carry sharp undertones and convey that if a person is determined, even a “Ret Ka Mahal” can be built—symbolizing passion and dedication. He said, “Joy, sorrow, and the pain of the human mind, when woven with words, become a story—‘Ret Ka Mahal’ is its very saga.”
Kanak Lata Tiwari shared that all the stories emerge from real-life experiences. While reading them, one can deeply feel the pain and emotions portrayed. Dr. Pandey has beautifully depicted the fragility of relationships in “Ret Ka Mahal.”
Ashwin Pandey mentioned that although he has not read all the stories, the ones he has read are not fictional but deeply connected to reality, and he himself has been a witness to many such incidents and situations.
Author Dr. Alka Pandey, in her address, said that while engaging in social service, she observed and understood various social contradictions and realities, which she later expressed through her words and imagination in the form of stories. She emphasized that a writer is one who observes and feels the surroundings and then pens them down creatively. She added that she has not created anything new, but has merely tried to write what she has seen and felt in society.
After the book launch, a Poetry Symposium (Kavi Sammelan) was held, presided over by Kishan Tiwari from Bhopal. Omprakash Tiwari attended as the Chief Guest, and Anil Kumar Rahi as the Special Guest. Poets Vandana Shrivastava, Promila Shukla, and Sneha Rani Gaikwad recited their compositions.
Several poets and poetesses including Vandana Shrivastava, Chandrika Vyas, Kishan Tiwari, Dilip Thakkar, Ashwin Pandey, Seva Sadan Prasad, Prajwal Vaghdari, Rakesh Mani Tripathi, Pallavi Rani, Vishambhar Dayal Tiwari, Ramswaroop Sahu, Kalpesh Yadav, Sushil Shukla “Nacheez”, Anil Kumar Rahi, Nandlal Kshitij, Pawan Tiwari, Archana, Poonam, Meenakshi Sharma, Pankaj Kavita Jha, Durgavati Gupta, Bharti Wadekar, Sneha Rani Gaikwad, Sushila Sharma, Trilochan Singh Arora, Promila Shukla, Dr. Daya Shukla, Yaduvanshi Ravi Yadav, Piyush Singh, Ramkumar, Omprakash Pandey, Om Prakash Singh, Surendra Prasad, Dr. Sharda Prasad Dubey, Dhananjay Rakh, Dr. Neelima Pandey, Lakshmikant Kamalnayan Ramesh Gaikwad, and many others enthralled the audience with their powerful and captivating recitations.
In the end, Alka Pandey expressed her gratitude to everyone present. She especially thanked Anita Mehra, who played a significant role in transforming her life, along with Ashok Mehra, Shikara Hotel, and all the poets and poetesses who witnessed and contributed to the book launch. She said that the presence of everyone made the program a grand success.
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