Shahrukh Ahmad

It was December 2010.

I was in eleventh, sitting alone in a ten by ten chalet in one of the filthiest place in Patna; Shahgunj. I had just read ‘It happened in India’, a book on Kishore Biyani and emergence of Pantaloons & Big Bazaar. A common man with average education, with non-understanding parents, with rarely any financial support starts something he really wanted to. He begins, fails, shuts, reopens, struggles and in 1997 opens the first hyper mall of India, Pantaloons. Then his partners quit, his brothers calls him a freak, he almost gets bankrupt, but he never loses faith and in October 2001, launches the first hyper market of India, Big Bazaar. All the major retail players say that he is just lucky. He opens two more Big Bazaar stores in next 22 days but again said as lucky to get the things done on time. Nine years later, his brand Big Bazaar is the world’s fastest retail chain to roll out its first hundred stores. Kishore Biyani is not known for giving up; especially not when everybody expects him to. I read his whole story and then, that ten by ten space went suffocating for me. Just then, something had born inside me, and was urging to fly.

Five years later, January 2016 is seeing the first flight of the thing that was born that day; an indomitable urge of doing something significant. Though it’s very early to say what I am doing is significant or not but it feels like I have taken my first step and have embarked on my journey of doing something significant with my life. Truly speaking, I don’t know what I am up to or where I will be in next few years. Yes! I do have some plans and I want the things to go in the same way. But as we all know, life is a strange journey; for me, very strange. It can take you to the shores you never wanted to go. It can make you see the things you never wished of. When life surprises you, there is probably nothing that can surprise you anymore. Life is hardly what we see and wish to be. I think that life is mostly how we respond to what happens to us. And most people do not respond. They react. Reactions are impulsive, response carries stillness. I have learnt this very thing to respond, not to react.

Last six years of my life have been tough, tensed and restless. I didn’t even feel that I have lived last six years; it feels like I have lived a year for six consecutive times. Same things happening again and again, same people asking the same questions again and again, same compulsions preventing me from doing something again and again, same sorrows tearing me apart again and again, same halfness of not being with someone grieving me again and again. People say that change hurts. Believe me, when few things don’t, it hurts even more. But I am happy that I have survived all these days of torments and am finally witnessing a dawn after a dark night that lasted for six long years. Indeed the night was dark and full of terrors.

I never thought that one day I will write a novel and it was even more unimaginable that the novel will be published by a venture of my own. Strange life! I said that earlier. Seeing my novel lying in front of me makes me think how even a casual thinking soon turns in an astonishing veracity. I have to say, faith is everything. There were days of steep distresses, series of wrong decisions and lack of a single penny of finance. But there arrive friends. My long list of people who understood me from the very first time I met them. Neetesh Dangi, the one who trusted me blindly. And with whom the very root of whatever happening was sown. Abhishek Pandey, the most my type guy I have ever met. You are like morphine for me brother. I have to admit, I am addicted of you. And the one with whom my friendship started on facebook and now he is one of the most trustable friends I have, Prajjaval Sharma. I don’t know why a good studying guy backs someone he met on facebook and promises him to be with him in his crazy decisions no matter what. I still want the answer Mr. Prajjaval Sharma. I have to confess that you all are awesome guys, I need you all. I am nothing without a single one of you.

I also owe a part of my life to one of my closest friend, Shobhna Manghate. Shobhna, you maybe not aware how much strength you have given to me; you just can’t. You rarely notice this, and it’s a good thing. I don’t know how and when we became friends but the day we talked about our lives, you became a part of my life too. Our lives are pretty much same if we could ignore the marks you get in the exams! And lastly I never have been what I am without my friend Chirag Bhadoria, a guy who probably knows me better than anyone else but it has been a year I have talked to him. I don’t know what happened between us but whatever it was, if anything I have done, knowingly or unknowingly, I am sorry buddy. You made me stronger and still few of your sayings buzzes in my mind. Thanks a lot for standing by me when I was all alone. Thanks! There are still a lot of people who deserve their name in this list but they are sensible enough to understand my inability. Thank you guys for understanding!

It was June 2014, when I started writing the novel, at that time even I wasn’t aware that what I started will take a shape of a novel one day. Eighteen months later, it did take that shape. In those eighteen months, I lived my twenty years of life again. It was tough, very tough indeed, going back in time and meeting all those people who made me what I am today. It felt like I was in a time machine. I met all those people who left me alone in this world. I again saw them going, leaving, and again I witnessed every howling that followed thereafter. It was a strange feeling. Though, it didn’t grieve me as it did when it all had actually happened. I knew this time that they have to go. So, I was prepared. Still, it broke me for a couple of times. I admit. It did. Nevertheless, I completed my novel. And I am happy that it is finally getting published.

My novel, REGRETS: Dream Desire Destiny, is a reality based fiction. I think that there is nothing like fictional stories. Every story has a real base; you may manipulate the incidents but there is always a real inspiration in every single fiction. And my story is based on the findings and learning of my own life. Somehow it reflects me, but yes, it only reflects a part of me.  The story revolves around the infamous engineering and hostel life and around the lifelong friendships we build in the college. Writing more may turn as spoiler so I am concluding this post now.

Summing up, the novel is a good read and probably you all will like it. I am very excited to know your reviews of the same. Just be true with your reviews and let me know my faults. It will help me improve faster. So, let us hope for a better tomorrow for all of us and I will see you all in the pages of my novel.

Take care 🙂

Lots of love <3