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Rohan Dwivedi
Writing did not directly come to me. The art of observation and ability of deep thinking is one one side, but to pen down the observations and thoughts into words and make it the size of a book nee...view moreWriting did not directly come to me. The art of observation and ability of deep thinking is one one side, but to pen down the observations and thoughts into words and make it the size of a book needs inspiration. I had been an average student throughout my school life and then I went for my mechanical engineering in one of the top engineering colleges of India where I had all the fun, made the best of friends and did everything apart from studies.
Four years of college got over in no time and I then decided to join Merchant Navy which is where my journey began. It was one year of strict training I underwent in the middle of which an incident I have mentioned in the book occurred and gave me a glimpse of what I was getting into. The general perception of people on shore about a mariner’s life is money, and adventures of travelling all around the world and seeing different places. My training got over and I went on board on a chemical tanker, leaving my loved ones behind. I was then a part of the practical on board life.
There was so much that I realised in those six months. When people talk about big money, I started thinking of what the money is for. Is it for working in the deafening noise and extreme temperatures? Is it for taking care of the complicated machinery, the type and number of which on board is more than what you would find in any other place? Is it for ensuring that the sea is not unnecessarily polluted by oil? Is it for working even more carefully in rough seas when the ship is rolling 20 degrees and you feel like vomiting when it pitches? Is it for handling the most dangerous and flammable cargo where one small mistake can lead to disasters? Is it for sailing unarmed and risking your life in the piracy prone areas? Is it for getting injured or breaking a leg having no professional doctor on board and still working for ten days because the nearest land is ten days away and there is no one else to do your job? Is it for fighting fire because you cannot call a fire brigade? Or is it for staying thousands of miles away from your loved ones who don’t even know how you are and where you are till the time you don’t call them because they cannot?
I combined all these reasons and could not set a price for the work. I sailed for six months and could go out only four times and that too ended up being a shopping complex nearest to the port. All other things did not bother me because they are a part and parcel of the profession and nothing can be done about it. But I got stuck and started to think of reasons as to why the existing necessities are not being provided. I saw the reality of the on board life and compared it to the distance of the people on land from this reality.
I felt as if I went a century or two back in time. I saw the lack of two-way communication there, the suffering of the people on board and their families back home, mine included. My inspiration was right there. I had a beautiful and touching story to tell and a cause attached and I could think of a better combination to start writing. It took me nine and a half months of being underground and not meeting people because I knew that no one would understand. But, this was one one thing I genuinely believed needed to be written about and that belief and inspiration drove me forward in those nine and a half months. All the observations and thoughts automatically started flowing in the form of words and I started loving it.
I am blessed to have the best of parents who have always been there with me, supported me and taught me to take things on the chin rather than running away from them. I have the best of friends who have always been there for me even in the weirdest hour. It was my second last month on board that I decided to write a book on this life and told my third engineer about it. He was someone who treated me just like his younger brother and he never stopped believing in me. I hope that he doesn’t feel let down after reading it.
I always knew that no one is including me would read a book on this life if I randomly write about it and raise a cause. But, I also knew that if I attach entertainment, love and emotions in the form of a story to it, it will reach out to people. All stories end with a full stop, but this is probably one of the rare ones which ends with a question mark. This is the most heart felt thing I have ever done. This is the most satisfying thing I have ever done. But, this is only as far as I could take it alone. I decided to write a story and bring it in front of the very same people we sail months for and let them decide and raise a voice too. I hope this is read by millions, it reaches out to billions and finally to the people concerned.view less