Journey from soldier’s sabre to writer’s quill

Why don’t you write a book? Many of my friends would suggest. In today’s smartphone era with an endless amount of readable material available on it, who will buy my book? I would ask. But when this question was asked over and over again, I began to consider the possibility seriously.
I picked up a pen at an early age, tethering my thoughts in a personal diary. However, I never graduated beyond the diary, despite my father’s coaxing me to push my scribbles towards print. Then one day, on his repeated insistence, I took the plunge. Having served at the Siachen glacier for three tenures, I wrote on my experiences at the world’s highest battlefield and sent it off to Hindustan Times. To my delight, it was published after a few days; from there on, began my journey of writing articles.
There are countless stories floating around, but few story-tellers. While some have an inborn gift of writing, there are others who lack the confidence of taking the quantum jump of translating thoughts in the mind into words on paper. I took that leap and churned up anything that came to my mind, pouring out a stream of articles. Initially, the journey wasn’t easy, as I faced repeated rejections from editors.
Thankfully, every time I felt that this was not my cup of tea, there would be one-odd piece that would get selected, giving my passion a fresh lease of life. With time, the rate of rejections reduced, and my articles got published with encouraging regularity; a soldier’s sabre was gradually transforming into a writer’s quill.
American statesman Benjamin Franklin wrote: If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing. The ordinary life that I’ve lived doesn’t lend itself to being worthy of recording. The only option left was to produce quality writing that compels attention.
I started with some trepidation, realising that my work can travel only as far as the strength of its own legs. In my attempt to graduate from writing articles to authoring a book, I have once again taken that first step in faith; even when I couldn’t see the whole staircase ahead.
How will this book fare? I really haven’t given much thought to it. Writing for me is a manifestation of an innate inner urge within; it acts like a catharsis. I have enjoyed this journey of distilling my thoughts into stories in optimism that readers will savour them. There is after all no wine in the world as heady as applause.
While the publisher is at work, I am audacious in my hope that those who had clamoured for the book won’t be disappointed. It would be even more gratifying if a few pen-pushers got inspired after reading the book and followed suit; perhaps, their stories would live longer, echoing through time.
Quoting William Wordsworth: Bliss is to be with a newspaper, but to see one’s article therein is very heaven. And who knows when your words become a page in someone else’s life guide!
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The writer is a Mohali-based freelance contributor