Future over a cup of coffee? Yes, that’s what Nawal Gani does; she predicts one’s future by reading the dried coffee dregs that are left over after one consumes it. The famous coffee reader, who was in the city taking part in the two-day designer and jewellery exhibition Meena Bazaar organised by Rajasthan Cosmo Club on September 19 and 20, made the exhibition more special with her presence as it turned out to be a two-day extravagance of more shopping and more ‘fortune’ telling. Yet, CE managed to catch up with her for a little chat over a cup of coffee, knowing about her past, present and future!
Gani, an India-born whose family originally hails from Syria, was the first to start this different concept of prediction in India in 1999. The concept seems pretty simple where one is made to taste the black Turkish coffee in a cup and leave the dregs behind. A tissue is then placed over the cup and it is shaken well and turned upside down to drain the residue. The leftovers in the cup dry up and form images, symbols and words, indicatiing the person’s full details which Gani interprets.
According to her, this ancient tradition of coffee reading originated from countries like Syria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq etc, where this practice is very common.
“This profession cannot be learnt from somebody, it is inherited, like I inherited from my mother. I was never serious to take it up as a profession, though I had it inside me, but with life’s twists and turns I am here now,” she says with a laugh.
If this profession reminds one of a serious stern-looking person, then Gani’s cheerfulness, energy and expressions would surely surprise people. She mentions about positivity in every sentence and believes that she could spread her energy to people in real need. She finds happiness in spending her money on charity. Of course, this philanthropic nature of hers had something to do with her past. Born in India, she was married to a Pakistani and lived in Abu Dhabi for 17 years, which she recalls it as the most miserable years of her life. While getting through the unsuccessful marriage with three kids to feed, she worked as a teacher and a police officer before she left for India.
“After my divorce, it was a lot of struggle in a new place with nobody to support. I have roamed in streets for food and money to feed my kids. I worked 22 hours a day as a teacher in the morning and policewoman during nights. All I remember is misery, hardship and full of sorrow. Then one fine day, I made up my mind and once for all left the place and came to India to live with my parents in Bengaluru,” she recalls.
With almost no penny left in her hands, It was her mother who motivated her to make coffee reading her profession. Even after all these years, she vividly remembers the first day of her profession. “On that day, I prayed to god to help me to be truthful and in return I would help the needy and support them in marriage, education and other needs,” says Gani, who went on to become very famous as the Arabian Coffee reader in Bengaluru. Not only India, she has clients from all over the world and tours places like Australia, Dubai, South Africa etc.
Though a Syrian, she speaks seven languages including Arabic, French, Hindi and Tamil among which she says, Tamil is her favourite language. Her clients range from South Indian stars like Prabhu Deva and many Kollywood and Bollywood actors.
She even tells fortune over the phone with the client’s name and their mother’s name. She tells their name and blows into the cup and gets their aura around to do predictions, which have been almost accurate, she says.
“I have predicted for politicians over phone like Sonia Gandhi, her daughter Priyanka Gandhi and many ministers,” she says.
One mantra that she firmly believes and spreads through her clients — accept and let go. She advises people to be optimistic and guides them through the future, but she is cautious not to get too attached. As she rightly puts it – “I don’t believe in just telling the future, I guide and suggest what could be done to be happy and content. It’s more like counselling sessions. When people say more miseries about their lives to you they get very close to you. I support them any day, but I make sure that I don’t get too emotionally attached to their problems. I bring them out of misery and my job is done,” she says.