'I believe in finality, that we are not the ones who choose the stories we write. The stories choose us. They see in us, a spark of their own splendour and fire.' ~ Srilakshmi Kochiyil

These words would never have meant much to me had I not started Smriti. It's been a year of Smriti and the journey till now has been memorable and magical. Smriti, our protagonist for me isn't just a mere person around whom I weave a story. She is an idea, a story and a mystery within herself. Smriti's journey started with me on a rainy Saraswati Puja of 2020 before lockdown. I always wanted to write something about ancient India, its history and rich culture. My story initially revolved around kings and queens with villains and wars and epic love stories but as months passed, there was a change. There was a change in my thoughts, my story, and my life.

Lockdown happened and I had to change schools and my city, Kolkata where I lived. I even had to leave my school friends, which was the saddest part. Also, with the increasing pressure of the science stream and my new school, I felt trapped. When the mind feels trapped, it resorts itself to another world where everything is bright. The same happened with me and Smriti was born. I could have chosen another title for my story but something in my heart told me not to and keep the name as Smriti. As I sat down to research and write about Smriti, I found out that this wasn't just a story that I was writing to escape from my gloomy mood, but was a reflection of my life.

Each character, be it Ekaksh, Medha, Ved or Suraini, each one of them were my image. They were born from my thoughts. We humans have bright and dark shades within us and what matters the most is the shade we choose to paint the canvas of our life as well of others. One must not feel bad to have about oneself regarding negative thoughts and ideas, but must choose to eradicate that thought wisely.

The school, Gyanpit, was created from my experience of the various schools I had studied in and from my imagination of schools in ancient India. It also included a lot of research work to make a proper system of education and exam conduction to make it relatable to the readers. I believe that educational institutions back then provided holistic development of students and I wanted the same in my story. My heart knew that Gyanpit had to be my ideal school and its education to be the best for pupils in the story.

Whenever one hears a story based on Indian history, one travels back to a timeline where there were grand forts, treasure, wars and death. I did not want that. I wanted things to be simple and fluid, something which felt how our lives are. The characters are students. We are students and not all of us are concerned with kings and queens, love and tragic tales. We hardly get time out of our books so this got me to write about student life in Gyanpit where they study, make friends, find love, etc. Over there, each one is concerned to find their place in life just like us.

And now I shall address about the creation of this book- Stories from Gyanpit. Smriti is still under drafting and there are various incidents that I removed before publishing chapters so those parts shall be posted here. Also, I have extras like pranks, old tales, myths about the school created by the students and memories shared by old students and teachers. Gyanpit is in Takshashila, the capital of Gandhar. Gandhar was a multi-ethnic community filled with Greeks, Bactrians, Indians, and Iranians, which sparked my interest. It was also popular for its art and culture and being an ardent admirer of the arts; I had to choose this place. So without further ado, I must leave you all to a colourful journey. Gyanpit and its tales await your presence.

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