Writing is like labour

Three and a  half years back, when my daughter was still inside me, I was waiting in tears for my ultrasound scan. Tears, because, my bladder was really full and I had been waiting for an hour. I just wanted to get the scan done and pee and put an end to my ordeal! Finally when the radiologist called me in, he had this Birbal story to narrate to me.

 

When King Akbar asked the court jester Birbal what really is the ‘happiest’ moment in a person’s life, he advised Akbar to command his citizens not to pee for 12 hours. Even Akbar followed this with a little bit of curiosity. At the end of 12 hours, there was a collective sigh of relief as Akbar and his people experienced the happiest moment in their life. They could finally relieve themselves! My radiologist claimed that the same holds good for a pregnant woman. ‘‘When the urge is at its peak, one has no other option but to pee. When a woman is in labour, no matter how scared she is she will push and deliver her baby. That will be the happiest moment in her life.’’
 
And my inference from my doc’s story?? Writing is like labour. A writer, be it a blogger, journalist, novelist or a poet,  just got to pen down or type her ideas when inspiration strikes. The words simply have to get out of a writer’s system. And yes, when she looks at her piece of work in the end, the joy is surreal.