A Journey To Live For!

Writing is a process I feel. A journey sort of. At least for me. And that is why it is not important as to who was the inspiration behind my first writing. Honestly, although there are many people who have always told me that I should take up writing more seriously, perhaps as a career, for me it has always been more of a hobby. But today when I look back, I think I have been writing for the past ten years of my life. And as much as the incidences and the people who have encouraged me to start writing in my early years are important to me, I also cherish those who have helped me stay motivated and given me a constant impetus to write more seriously and effectively.

I had written my first spontaneous write up when I was attending a workshop for my students at Mithibai college. It was a syllabus upgradation meet and most of the questions were quite redundant that led me to boredom and without realizing I started doodling on the workshop handbook that was given to us. I was carrying a diary that was gifted to me by my then colleague who was also my college senior. When most questions that I was concerned about were over, I happened to open that diary and quite unknowingly scribbled some words on it. Later, when me and my other colleague who was attending the workshop with me started to move out of the lecture hall, she happened to see what I had written and remarked, “Tumhi tar lekhak ahat…” (Marathi for: You seem to be a writer huh!). Earlier that year one of my college professor had appreciated me for my writing when I had passed out from college and since I had not gotten a full-time job, I was writing columns for the marathi daily ‘Samna’. It was a one - month vacation and I had written three columns, I guess. she liked them a lot and had told me to seriously consider writing as a career option. Just like her, one of my very good friends has been telling me since my early college days that I write very well and so has another professor from my college who had complimented me once for my scientific essay writing ability.

I have been into a full-time research career and thus writing has always been on the back burner. But I must say I have really learnt a lot in the past ten years or so as I always kept trying my hand at writing different kinds of topics. It is fun to explore. That is what I write for. I have written my personal recipes for a marathi magazine, Lokprabha and have also drafted the recipes for a book called ‘MyGoa’. The latter was particularly interesting because it involved interviewing a 79-year-old woman around my locality over five Sundays when she used to tell me the recipies and I used to write them in short, covering almost 7- 8 of them in one go. Then, I used to reframe them back at home. I used to call her ‘Aaji’ (Marathi for grandma). The best part was she used to make one or two recipies for me on each Sunday and I used to end up having lunch with her. The warmth in her being really made the whole process so humane and nice that it is one of the most cherished memories of my life!

I have also been writing book and movie reviews, personal opinions on social issues and at times even poems on social media. That reminds me of when I had written my first poem. I was travelling in the train once and at that time something inspired me and there I was … without even knowing … I had completed an entire poem in around ten minutes or so. It was around 120 words and, in Marathi. I started exploring writing English poems a year after that I feel and I had written the first one for a friend who was getting married. We were sort of giving her a pre – marital lunch party (kelvan) and I read out my poem for her then. After that it became a habit to write whenever I felt inspired and I haven’t stopped as of now.

When my book ‘MyGoa’ that had Aaji’s recipies got published I was very happy! Somehow, my research director found that book in the market and saw my name on it. At the time I was unaware that the book had been released as I was not a part of the publishing process. The friend through whom I had taken up this assignment had told me that it is in process and I had long forgotten about it after doing my part. I believe even he wasn’t aware that the book had been released. One day, I happened to visit my director’s office for some work and then she enquired about this book and I was completely surprised. She complimented me for my work and it felt nice. After that book there were times when I translated speeches for public figures, explored different kinds of freelance writing jobs and four years back landed up at my writing mentor in Mumbai.

I really do not remember how I met her, but I experienced a different life in those Sundays that I spent at her home trying a hand at different writing exercises. A life where people from different backgrounds used to gel so well. My mentor runs a writing group in her house and all of us who like to write, try our hand at the writing prompts that she gives us. Sometimes, she also includes fun games to just free us up and I like that too. At times we have book exchange or quizzes and even celebrations, especially around Christmas. It’s a very informal setting and I have met really talented writers who have never taken any formal training in their life and that makes me feel humble about my own abilities.

I remember I had once expressed to my mentor that I would like my career to transit in the direction of science communication and she had advised me to write blogs on a consistent basis. It wasn’t possible then and even now I am not able to write as much as one would have to. But I keep trying. I also made a couple of friends there who were already well-established blog writers and who openly used to share with me whatever they did It is nice when people are eager to share their journey because, writing I feel is about three things: knowing yourself better and knowing the world around you even so and being curious about the things that matter to you, for, most of the times we live twice, as Anais Nin says, once in the present and once in the retrospect and writing is a bridge that shows us the difference between the two!