So, today is very special. This is the 50th episode of Shweta’s Basket, a half-century. When I started Shweta’s Basket, a short stories and poems podcast in March 2020, I had no idea where this would lead. The only thought was to narrate stories written by you and me…The regular people, who had no platform to showcase our work and also to gift the listener a smile just like audio stories do for me. But this was completely new and I was not sure if I could do it, or what it entailed. But I knew for sure that if I thought too much about it, I would chicken out. My family and friends agreed, so with their best wishes in one hand and armed with the required research, enough to get me started in the other hand, I took the plunge. It was like reading about how to swim and then jumping into the deep end and hoping …fervently… that your theory will help you keep afloat in the practical. But we all know how that goes. So, it was no wonder that I was barely managing to stay afloat. For the 1st nine months, there was only 1 episode per month. Which is akin to drowning.  But then Dec 2020 onwards, I found that my skill had improved a bit and now was the time to put in the hours to build the stamina. So dec onwards I started posting twice a week. Recording, editing the recording, learning the finer points of the editing software, searching for the right music, the perfect picture, uploading it to my host site Anchor and finally posting on social media. That was a lot of work, a lot of learning, a lot of frustration but utterly exhilarating. This episode will be incomplete without mentioning these 3 people. The very first person is someone whose name is lost forever in the lanes of bygone childhood memories. The person who introduced me to audio stories. I don’t remember who you are what your name is but I am eternally grateful to you for giving me this precious gift. The other 2 people are #NehaParashar and #NeeleshMisra. Neha has a podcast titled #PannoKeJharokhe. It’s my absolute favorite. Do listen to her. She has a wonderful way of pulling you in. She was the motivation behind me posting 2 episodes per week and pushing my boundaries. Last but not least is #NeeleshMisra…Everyone knows him. He is perhaps the most loved and famous audio storyteller in India today. His #Yaadonkaidiotbox with Neelesh Misra, available as a podcast is my absolute goto podcast. Both of them have double handedly saved me from going insane in this lockdown. Their narration is the boat that keeps me safe and afloat in this chaotic ocean of life in the pandemic. And if I can be even one person’s boat for a day, I would consider myself blessed. Link to the post - https://shwetasbasket.com/celebrating-50-episodes/ Email id - [email protected] #shwetasbasket #podcasting #shortstoriespodcast #podcastindia #fiction #kahaniyaan #storyteller #storytellerindia #indiewriters #celebration #milestone #50thepisode #gratitude