Unpublished Interview of Bhavik Sarkhedi
- How does it feel when you are the author of a book, what is the response of your family, friends etc.?
Well, I would begin with the title of Chapter 5 “Patience & Persistence” from my book which depicts the importance of ‘Sabra’ in our life. Coming to the point, it feels bliss & ecstatic being an author because it’s like an additional feather to my cap where people say ‘There he goes-Summation of Engineer & Writer’.
Since I was a hidden wordsmith till my article was published in ‘Times of India’s Rajkot Plus’, I became really popular among my friends & colleagues-definitely
In fact, I was the reputed one in my family & relatives because wherever I go people would greet & appreciate me for my debut work.
Then, I say to myself giggling “what else you demand from this life?’
- Did your family support you in your quest..?
It’s quite perplexing, you know when you have got 2 skills & your parents are still thinking ‘Is he going to make his passion into a profession?’, ’Is he serious about his passion or just a casual wish to fulfill?’. Yes, I must admire that Parents do care about my quest since they consider it as my special ability. They support me like anything & I still remember my father saying before my book was published ‘It’s Ok if you can’t do traditional publishing, tell me how much money will you require for the whole process?’
- What is the exact procedure for publishing your first book?
Nothing special-It’s Self Publishing by Partridge India(Penguin Group)
After submitting my manuscript to many publications, I came to know that ‘Short Story’ Genre is never going to be accepted & moreover I was a newbie
Of course, I was demotivated like anything but you see when you have already written an inspirational content, what else stops you?,,,so I finally went for Self Publishing
- What sort of media support did you get as an author?
Ummm… Nothing at all. I have tried myself promoting & advertising my book going personally to every store & sticking posters to the crowdy-famous public place.
I still can’t forget the day when my book was online & I was like OWOOOWOW for an instance but as days passed it was the bitter reality.
My Job timing used to be 7 AM-6 PM during those days & so after 6 I would pack my bag with book copy, posters & the portfolio of my writing career –visiting every good place of the city Bhuj where my book posters can be noticed.
And at 10 PM, I would come to my apartment tired despite having any negative feeling about the book but the only thing my head was filled was that I would write the second book which would be novel & I will write it so well that it will get traditionally published thus I won’t have to roam here and there again.
Not going to an emotional path, let’s say ‘It happened for a reason’& that’s why I am on my Next Meta-Physical Fiction Novel ‘Will You Walk a Mile?’
- What inspired you and attracted you towards writing field?
OHHHH! Actually, I was an introvert since childhood and the only best friend I had was my personal diary( I have got total 12 of ‘em now from 2001/02 to 2014). Every time when I had my bad times-moments during school or at home, I would directly write it in a diary. I don’t know but I was innocent enough to think so fantasy that this diary would be read by God every night & my troubles-obstacles will be solved.
To be Frank, until today I write all the bad stuff haphazardly in my laptop secret file or in physical copy & yes “ It’s still having the same impact like childhood”. Thanks to God for giving me the Secret Special Weapon to slay the hindrance of my life.
- Are you having any further plans for your next book?
As I told you that I am writing a novel but with a co-partner ’Shweta Suvarna’. She helps me in the Fictional Character plots while I am into the Philosophy part which is the main crux of this book.
- In this scenario, where authors are a rarity how do you feel being an author?
Really ?? I don’t think so …HAAHAH. Lots of guys & girls are making into their future in the writing career but yes as a rarity, I feel special but I also feel frightened whether I will survive or not.
- Being just an author can anyone survive for their lives without any jobs or business and just writing books …what are views regarding this?
Personally speaking, this is not possible until & unless you are born rich & have the money back up to live life. Because this stuffs asks time from you, a big huge period of time where you struggle from newbie to mediocre to expert professional.
I would make myself ensure when I would have only writing career that I have something that relates to my writing skills for example-Blogger- I have my own blog
bhaviksarkhedi.com/blog where I write something anything everything categorizing reality of life, risk, love, care, bliss, sorrow, aggression, emotion-In short the genre of my book
- It’s a tradition in India that – “if you are not a doctor or an engineer you are considered a terrorist” …so what you have to say to the kids who are interested in creative fields and wish to be the freelance writers?
I would definitely support them personally if I get an opportunity since this is an era of ‘MultiTasking’, ‘Passion Pursuance’ ,’Creativity’,
I would just say one line to them’ It’s better to try once what you are capable of than to repent for the rest of the life because human beings always remember the thing they couldn’t do in their life than the things they did’
And by the way, I am a Mechanical Engineer too but look I am not late enough to accomplish this task. No regrets Engineering too…LOL but happy to got brothers like friends who made me know who I was & let my creativity glow.
- What inspired you to write particularly on this topic?
Frustration, Depression, Stress & Tension to the generation who are even still not mature enough to know what the purpose of this life is. When I say I am emotional & philosophical by nature I surely mean it because I wish that if I am given a wishbone for life then I would make every people smile around me.
…Because nothing matters much
- How is your family background? (describe your parents’ professional life, your professional life, any of your siblings and their attitude towards you as an author)
My father is an artist & I guess that’s why I am blessed with this creativity. He owns Textile Design Business in Jetpur-a small town near Rajkot. Yes, Chapter 12-The One with the Guts-A short tiny real-life story of my Father who is my icon & role model for life. I follow him & every one of his attitudes, ethics, etiquettes.
I go in my Flash Back when I got 73% in 12th Science & I was invited to PV Modi school for the awards but I didn’t. I was too stubborn & didn’t obey my parents who tried to convince me a lot. Because I thought that I deserved more scores.
Finally, Papa’s friend whose son was too in the same school came to me after the function & asks me to meet him personally, he said “You know what you have missed life’s biggest occasion because all the students above 70 % were called on the stage along with their parents & rewarded-pray to God if you can get the same occasion to prove yourself “
There you go, March 12, 2015, long long time after my 12th, I was called upon the stage along with my parents –it was my Marwadi College where my book was inaugurated. You can see my Goosebumps now as the glittering eyes of my parents is seen who is looking at me with proud thanking God for all.
My mother is a sweet, adorable housewife who stills pinches me on my ears when I get angry for no reason, still taunts me’Beta, bhale writer thai gayo pan mara mate to tu haji Lallu j cho’- Lallu My childhood pet name. She won’t forget to tell me daily on call’ Have you done your dinner with Punjabi or Gujarati food because be health conscious as I am not there to take care of you’.
My elder sister Heta is Married recently & I miss her so much because it’s like when you have friends –they can be your brother like but sisters are sisters-she loves me too because she stills waits for her surprise gift every time I visit her.
Though she is elder, she still begins kidding “Bhavik, now you have become an author hmm, do tell us the philosophical lecture when time permits…”
We are Joint Family & everybody wholeheartedly respects me like anything including Dinesh Uncle, Raju Uncle, my both aunties & their children.
- Say something about your school life ? (Did you ever run after marks and grades…. Did you ever wish to be a doctor or an engineer..? are you satisfied with your career?
Oh yes man for sure, ask me again and I will feel more joyed.
I was a nerd and introvert till 12th as I already mentioned .Never came 4th in class till my 12th but frankly speaking thanks to the nature who made my destiny U-turn with the following friends entry-Disha,Samrat ,Chintan, Darshan, Sunny, Chirag, Bhavin,Mansi,Vimal, Nikunj.
I started becoming an extrovert after that & my College Grades were awesome & I shouldn’t say this clearly but my writing skills have made me achieve those grades.
Like every engineer, I have studied on the last night but the grades, oh my god the grades would be far more than last night study. Actually, I always wished to be a good engineer with good job for sure but now I think that I will have to give my second thoughts..hahha
Definitely, I am satisfied with the position I am in right now, because time is precious & that is what I takes advantage of –Utilizing every tinie tiny moment invasion. Like a war field
- What more do you expect from yourself ? What are your family’s expectations from you?
I am contended as of now. May be I am more ambitious towards the ‘Soul Soothing’ activity or deeply in philosophy language I feel good sleep if I do a work which makes other people happy, something that makes me say’Ah there he is..Virtual God’
I just wants to convey some of my good thinking to the society. Like Einstein said “ I want to know God’s thought the rest is details”
I expect nothing more than my capacity from myself because that would be injustice to my ability & creativity. My family is & will be happy with the way I may opt to choose willingly because they have faith and hope. And I must express ‘Hope sabse badi tope’
- What do you think you must have at the end of your living…? Means what is your ultimate aim of life?
Seriously ? Ultimate aim? I would rather make it very clear the actual weird dream of my life which is unusual but optimistic : I love villages, I wish that along with my whole family, wives & children I live in the chirping birds, flowing river atmosphere (as I would have earned ample …lol conditions apply) & I would be the CEO or the President or the owner of a very unique NGO for the creative people “God’s creation”-to elaborate it “God has made every human beings unique and so they should justify of what they are capable of, unfortunately everybody doesn’t get chance or lose the hope mid-way. I want them to come up & show what they way. You see
- Who turned out to be your pillar support for your book?
That’s toughy. I hope this is the final question as it would reveal all the secrets…hmm
A firm fight against myself :
To change from introvert to extrovert
An unknown to a popular
A nerd to the jolly one
A depressed to the optimist
A normal to the unique.
To all my friends family & everyone who nurtured me at every part of life proving me wrong & right at the specific situations, I would have been nothing without you.
I believe in Law of Karma & Everything Happens for a reason- just trust your guts because it never lies it just scares you –scares from the scars you may get but that scars stays life long, teaches you lessons, makes you stronger, enlightens your inner soul-conscience.
This journey has been full of amazement, ups, downs & grief but overall this 23 I can say I have proved something I deserved because sometimes ‘Intuition is just an Illusion’ you can trust you can’t –the only exigent thing is that you got to know when it’s true when it’s false
But sometimes ‘your faith is your fate’
Finally to the steve jobs , a line from ‘Jobs’movie( I tell it to every creative people I meet in my life & to tell you the truth –they all adore it
Here’s to the crazy ones
The rebels, the trouble makers
The round peg in a square hole
The ones who sees things differently
They are not fond of rules
They have no respect for the status quo
You can quote them, disagree with them
Glorify or vilify them
But the only thing you can’t do is ignore them
Because they change the world
The push the human race forward
While some might see them as the crazy ones, we see genius
BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CRAZY ENOUGH TO THING THAT THEY CAN CHANGE THE WORLD ARE THE ONES WHO DO.
How was that?
Thank you….
