TETE-A-TETE with BACHCHAN!

Have any of you experienced that feeling of joy that is so immense that you are unable to express or even react appropriately? Something like the maximum amount of happiness that tiny heart inside of you can hold? I don’t think this even comes close to what it was for me. But I am going to try my best to put it all into words. This is the only way I can try and let it sink in! It looks all too surreal at the moment. But it did happen! :D

Okay here I go. I am going to pen down my life’s most memorable day so far. The most precious 35 minutes ever. Yes I met Amitabh Bachchan again!

This was technically my fifth meet with him. I do realise I am very blessed. :)

At my first meet at the Penguin Annual Lecture in 2013, I got to see him for real, got to hear him talk, recite, joke, got to communicate with him in person. But I did not get to shake hands with him or get a photograph clicked. I was already waiting for another chance. It was June 2014. There were a few of us. Got some 5 minutes with him. Short but truly special. I got around a minute or even less. Got 3 hugs, an autograph and a photograph to capture the moment forever. Then in October 2014, he was shooting at a restaurant at Haus Khaz Village. I got a few seconds and a hug. He had to rush.
My fourth meet with him was very different due to the fact that I had coordinated it for all us Delhi EF (His Delhi fans from his blog. He calls us all his Extended Family!) That was my longest meeting with him so far. A total of 20 minutes for around 25 people. Got just about a minute. But again, it was different. He was pulling my leg, cracking jokes with me & he remembered me so clearly. I was bowled over. I could feel some kind of rapport developing. Can you imagine how elated I was? :))

So now we come to my 5^th meet. This can’t be compared to any of the others. This time, I was in Bombay, at his office, with just my family with me. Fatima from South Africa, a fellow EF and one of the most amazing people I know, got it fixed for me. There were a few hiccups initially. It looked dicey. I wasn’t sure if it will work out. But eventually it did. His secretary gave me a final nod while I was going through security check at the airport! :) She was so considerate about a time that would suit us as well. Why is everyone around AB so nice?

Okay so we landed up at his office at around 12.35 pm, on October 2^nd, 2015. The meet was planned for 1 pm. But given how punctual he is, we had to reach before time. :)

His office is grand. The guard at the gate had already been told “Rubina” is coming with her family. He let us in with a smile. Amit ji’s security guard, another sweet fellow was right there. I have known him for a while now. He was happy seeing us all there. He knew I had been waiting for a proper meet with sir and finally it was happening. We were directed to a room on the 2^nd floor. Let me tell you the interiors are jaw droppingly stunning. So aesthetic, classy, elegant. Just like the man himself!
Someone from his staff was already waiting for us upstairs. Such moments just leave you speechless. He asked us if we would have some tea/coffee. I know the tea at his place is too good, but amid those jitters, all of us decided to have nothing! ;) We clicked quite a few pictures, with his numerous pictures & portraits in the room. It was the first time my parents & sister were to actually “meet” sir. But I was apparently way more nervous, what with the trembling & shaking all the while! Lol!

After the photo session, we took our seats at the round table. I had not even settled when he just threw open the door and entered with a “Namaskaar”. It was 12.51 pm. He was coming straight from the gym. He always has this habit of entering with a bang. It leaves us no time to think of how to greet him hahahaha! Mom & dad replied with a star struck “namaskaar”. My sister Sarina, standing behind me, got starry eyed, a bit lost but promptly shook hands with him. :)

And then he looked at me. I looked back, shivering like a leaf there! ;) This is what happens with me every single time. I freeze! This time around, it was he who brought me back to the senses. He reached out gesturing for a hug. And I went off with my favourite dialogue “Aapko main yaad hun sir?” He laughed “Of course yaad ho Rubina. Come here”. And then, he gave me a slight tap on the shoulder (which meant-you naughty girl) and I got the warmest hug ever! After this, I was dazed & not in my senses anymore. But i was there! ;)

For a few seconds no one spoke. I had to break the silence so I told him he was wearing orange which was my favourite color. He asked “Bachpan se orange favourite hai”? I said “Hanji sir. Bachpan se I have two favourites, orange & Amitabh Bachchan!” :D His smile was so sweet!
My mom then told him how I wanted to sit in his lap when I was around 2. He laughed so hard, banging on the table. Haha! Embarrassing for me but yeah I was a very cute child so I can’t help it :P
He asked Sarina about her studies. We discussed about her college, my college & his college too. He talked about Delhi University the way he remembers it. It was all so candid. I was smiling so hard my cheeks almost hurt.
I told him I am from Hansraj but wanted to be in KMC (since it’s his college). He said Hansraj is better. I said KMC is the best! And he was like *hmmphh what a silly girl* hahahaha.. So you can see I was so nervous that I kept blabbering. This was the very first time I was actually getting to speak to him & I had to make the most of it!
I asked him if he had some shoot this morning. He told us he was to leave for the shoot after meeting us. Dad asked him about gym and he said “Gym toh karna padhta hai. Nahi toh sharer kharab ho jaayega”. It was something very casual, both what he said and the way he said it. You don’t expect such responses from “celebrities” but he is just one of a kind. He chatted with us as if we were friends meeting up after a long time! I loved it!
My mom had been keeping unwell the last few months. I had shared it with him quite a few times. And he was so considerate to remember and ask her if she was fine now. Again, this is unexpected unless it’s Amitabh Bachchan who has an elephant’s memory & is the most caring man I know!
Dad went on to ask him about his upcoming show Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi. He explained the concept in such detail, and with a lot of interest. (Okay he is just the BEST!) He told us it is about recognizing & rewarding real life heroes, through an innovative show! So looking forward to this one!

Then came what remains my favourite bit of the entire time spent with him. That very morning, we had read an article about how “Amitabh Bachchan turned musician & composed the title track of the AKRHZ song.” I told him he has done a splendid job. What followed was:
AB- Arey ye sab technology ka kamala hai. Mujhe kahan aata hai music.
Me- Nahi sir, you sing amazingly well.
AB- Arey you don’t know Rubina, we have all those huge machines, such advanced technology. Kisi ko bhi sur me gava sakte hain. Mujhe samajh nahi hai sangeet ki.
Me- Sir fir toh duniya me sab log gaana gaa lete!
AB- Arey main keh raha hun na it’s all technology. Main “besura” hun bilkul!
Me- Say what?!?!? Okay sir I will repeat what I often tell you on twitter: “You have no idea how amazing you are!”
AB- ummm... *thinks of any argument left* Aap biscuit lengi? :P hahahahahahaha! He is the most adorable man ever!

I then shared with him how uncertain the meet was, for a long time. But finally, thanks to Fatima it all worked out! He said: Wo toh daant deti hai mujhe. Miloge ya nahi? Main mana nahi kar sakta! ;) AB adores her!
The discussion shifted to his films then. All four of us told him about our favourite Bachchan films, special memories associated with some, little anecdotes, how loving him runs in our genes, and what a dream come true this was, to be able to talk to him about it!
I then said to him what I had been personally meaning to, for long. I told him Amit Malhotra from Silsila was my first ever crush! Yes I said that to him in person! He already had an idea and blushed a little. Haha! Just the cutest ever!
I told him how my relatives & friends used to laugh at me every time I said I am going to meet AB someday. Once I showed them the blog & twitter, they realized it was actually him connecting on all platforms. His “guffaw” was enough to make me grin!
Sarina told him how she got a fracture after spraining her foot at the Penguin Lecture, while she was climbing down the auditorium stairs in excitement. He asked her if everything is fine now :)
I told him how I wished to be born in the 60s/70s watching Deewar, Sholay, Laawaris & all other masterpieces of his, on the big screen. Yeah well it was kinda funny and his expression said “haha pagal ladki” :P

It was time to give him the little gift we had got. My dad had conserved an old Bhopal newspaper from the year 2007, that had a special interview of Amit ji, published on Babuji’s 100^th birth anniversary. We had to keep the original with us, of course! :D We got an exact photo copy done & framed and presented it to him. He loved it and even read the article for a few minutes. I have never seen a person of his stature, as busy as him, pay so much attention to others. That small gesture was enough to let us know he appreciates our efforts. That is AB for you. He will reciprocate in a manner you cannot ever think of, and sweep you off your feet! J I had got “chikki” for him as it is the only sweet thing that he eats. He took it immediately and said he will definitely have it! :)

And now he asked us to click some pictures. Himself! *bowled over again*
I captured memorable moments of my family, and went last myself. Told him how I used to dream of getting a picture with him with that particular wall of his office in the background! The flash of my mobile camera was throwing tantrums that day lol! It flashed sometimes & did not the other times. AB found it so funny. He said “Kya phone hai ye bhai?” haha!
My parents were quite sober when being clicked. And then he called me, “Rubina, come come!” :D
I was acting almost mental. You can’t blame me though. He asked me which side of his I wanted to stand on. I actually did the right left right thing & finally decided it was the left I wanted to be on! Yes I had lost it. And I was anything but sober. I gave him the biggest possible hug! :D
And then I gathered courage to ask him for a selfie. It’s been on my bucket list for 2 years now! He readily agreed. I told him he is tall so he needs to click it. He took my phone, figured out what button to press (he is smart & very tech savvy)! Then he pressed it a few times in a second, hoping to get many pictures, just the way it happens in an iphone. Sadly, mine is an HTC. It has a slow shutter speed so no matter how many times you press it, you get just one picture which takes a little second to drop into the folder. He did not know this and was like “sach me kya phone hai ye”.
And then, when I shifted a little away assuming the selfie is done, he almost scolded me “Arey don’t move when I am clicking! Just stay! Don’t move okay?” This took me by surprise. I could see our equation changing over the years. He wasn’t formal with me this time. And I cannot even begin to tell just how that feels! I genuinely felt he is fond of me. I could be imagining haha.. But my family told me they noticed the very same thing. I loved the way he scolded me playfully, loved how he wanted my photo with him to come out just right, loved the way he talked, poore haq se. I was exhilarated, beaming from ear to ear!
We finally had a groupfie which is the cutest picture of the lot! His expression is so endearing anyone could fall in love with him!

He gave us all, autographs, signed some precious AB stuff for me. I told him I get really excited when I realize he remembers my name. He repeated what he had said during our last meet “Bhoolunga kaise? Itna pareshan jo karti ho mujhe” and then winked! Hehe.. He knows I am going to do that all the time! :D

Before leaving, he thanked us for coming, which just blew my mind! I mean it was a privilege, an honour for us. And here he was, thanking us for coming. He usually leaves me speechless. This time I was both speechless & in awe, through the entire duration of the meet!
He asked us about our return flights and invited us to come at the gates for Sunday meet (We call it the Sunday darshan) I felt horrible for saying no since it wasn’t possible to delay my flight! :( But I promised to be there on a Sunday! :)
He bid us adieu (I didn’t want him to leave obviously, but he had to), wished mom & dad, shook hands with Sarina and then looked at me with a “No bye bye hug?” expression haha! I thankfully reacted this time & gave him the best possible hug! :) And he left.

He left the room, and he left us all spellbound. I was sure I cannot love him anymore than I already do. But he proved me wrong yet again. My admiration, respect & fondness for him just rises by leaps and bounds everytime. He gave me the most PRICELESS day of my entire life. And I have pictures & this written account, to help me preserve this for posterity!

This meet was extra precious, since this time around, it was not just my dream that was fulfilled, but my family’s too!

I wish everyone gets to meet him once, just for the sheer experience of pure magic! It is a different world altogether. He is unbelievable when it comes to connecting with fans & admirers, making every effort & going that extra mile to make us feel so special. No matter how much I write about him, his greatness & awesomeness is indescribable. No matter how much I thank him, it will never be enough. What he has given me, given us, is something we possibly cannot repay. He is phenomenal, not just as an actor, but as a person too! And I love him to the moon & back!

I love...

I love how grandparents walk the little ones to school and back,
I love those hours of talking nonsense with siblings,
I love the rickshaw rides to the local market,
I love those silly fights over who loves whom the most,
I love those endless chats with mom, sitting over the kitchen slab,
I love the games we play during long power cuts,
I love the way fathers carry sleepy babies to their room,
I love the banter during a family get together,
I love the giggling at the street food joints,
I love the neighbors bonding, sitting by the main gates,
I love that craze of clicking numerous pictures with friends,
I love the pampering the youngest gets, just everywhere,
I love the leg pulling by the elders, at a family function,
I love the aroma of the simplest home cooked food,
I love it when the post brings a letter from a dear one,
I love the excited voice of a long lost buddy, over the phone,
I love the "i hate you" by our closest friends,
I love being loved by my precious few,

I love how the sweet shop salesman offers candies to naughty kids,
I love watching people see off their loved ones every morning,
I love the way strangers smile randomly at each other, as they pass by,
I love the grin on the maid's face when she gets a diwali bonus,
I love the parks brimming with life in the evenings,
I love the sharing of lunchboxes at the workplace,
I love the sound of the bell the candy floss guy rings,
I love watching children play badminton on the streets,
I love when people get choked up in emotions and can't speak,
I love the sound of a new born crying,
I love the sound of rain drops falling on concrete,
I love the smell of the soil during monsoons,
I love the rustling of the leaves on a hot summer day,
I love the discolored naked trees during the fall,
I love the spilled colors on the drawing books,
I love the sloppy handwriting of childhood,
I love the smell of old, torn books stacked in cupboards,

I love that chocolate powder smiley on my coffee,
I love the untidy hair buns and those empty eyes,
I love imagining myself to be a part of the song I have been listening to,
I love the restlessness right before the movie begins,
I love getting my hair braided by mom,
I love those short outings to the India Gate,
I love aimless long drives that take you nowhere,
I love looking at all the old and blurry pictures,
I love that feeling of the first self cooked Maggie,
I love checking out a 100 shops and buying just that one dress,
I love the spontaneous conversation with a fellow passenger,
I love that feeling of watching my favorite people on TV,
I love that happiness of getting a new nail polish,
I love the little stop overs during a long journey,
I love getting surprised by my special people,
I love writing cards and giving presents on birthdays,
I love waiting for that exam result with jitters,
I love the satisfaction on seeing my parents proud of me,
I love the bumping into our old teachers, years later,
I love the morning prayer that reminds me of my school,
I love the red uniforms and the well tied ties,
I love the countless birthday treats round the year,
I love sleeping till late on the weekend,
I love the Monday morning blues,
I love that feeling of being ecstatic on being home,
I love that impatience nearing vacations,
I love those sips of chilled frooti to beat the heat,
I love the charm of old advertisements,

I love looking out of the car window aimlessly,
I love kissing the cool breeze on a cold winter night,
I love gazing at the moon endlessly, lost in thoughts,
I love the tears of joy and the pained smiles,
I love unkempt beds and spread out books,
I love lying down and staring at nothing,
I love the way I don't let go of a chance to express myself,
I love the way I hate and love myself at the same time,
I love the way I imagine things the way I want to,
I love missing the times gone by,
I love being so overwhelmed that I smile and cry together,

I love the ramblings of my silent surroundings,
I love being organized yet very random,
I love my complexities in spite of being simple,
I love the peace within when its chaotic outside,
I love the most insignificant things in life,
I love how they touch you deep down in ways many,
I see, I hear, I understand, I observe, I ponder,
And I love how money can't buy the purest forms of joy! :)


R

HAPPY Women's Day? We need happy WOMEN!

Is there a "Men's Day" that anyone has heard of?
I guess not. Why a "Women's Day" then? Why can't we just do away with this discrimination once and for all?
If there is one creation of God that needs to be celebrated every single day, it is the woman. For she is the reason mankind, or let's say the humankind exists. She is the source of life.
But still, I don't really see a reason to commemorate a day specially for women.
Their plight, not just in India, but in many other countries, is well known. Women are abused, beaten, sexually exploited, treated as scum, considered as objects of pleasure, taken for granted, seen as inferior beings who don't deserve to be happy, educated and independent at all. This is their plight in many parts of this world and is enough proof of how misogynistic our society is, even in the 21st century. 
I would like to talk about India first. We have definitely become one of the most powerful countries ever. But dowry related deaths, sati, age old rituals that continue to disgrace girls, are more prevalent than we could think of!
The mere fact that a future Super Power has "Beti bachao, beti badhao" as one of its prime campaigns, talks volumes about the miserable situation we are in.

India is almost on the verge of becoming an ideal example of HYPOCRISY!
Here, women empowerment is a very fancy concept with not much realism attached to it.
Our mornings begin with reading about instances of brutal rapes, domestic violence, sexual exploitation, gender bias and other forms of atrocities on women, in the papers.
Politicians condemn such crimes and easily forget that they ever happened. What follows is, some hue and cry by the media, debates on news channels, aggressive discussions on social platforms, sexist comments by chauvinists we have in abundance prejudiced opinions and more.
This somehow projects the victim as the culprit herself. Now I have never understood how that can be even possible, but yes, that is what happens always.
Some hype and hullabaloo later, things are forgotten. I really admire our exceptional ability to just move on. The whole cycle repeats on a regular basis.
I often feel people have become used to all this.
Every such case does nothing but push our tolerance limits further I guess.

What comes out of it all? The ridiculous belief that a woman is responsible and is the reason for anything that happens to her. I believe there is some very innovative form of research being conducted in several places in India, specifically focused on "rape", the findings of which are outrageously bizarre. We have recently got to know that eating junk food, having chowmein, stepping outside after it is dark, wearing western clothes, watching modern films, having male friends, going to school/college and other such things are causative factors for a female being raped.
So basically, we should understand that "living" itself is the reason for rape. If you are alive and existing like a normal human being, you are prone to all forms of sexual harassment. Isn't that brilliant?
Then they say lower the female marriageable age, encourage child marriage which is part of culture.. And hola, there would be no cases of rape and domestic violence.
The latest case I heard, was a man raping a 6 year old, using a 4 feet rod! There is no dearth of little married girls being exploited, innumerable cases of prostitution and human trafficking and what not. Can somebody ask those morons if wearing short dresses or eating junk food has anything got to do with it?

The recent documentary on Nirbhaya, as many of you must be aware of, has been banned from viewing in India. I still remember the kind of modern day revolution the barbaric incident had sparked. I had almost started feeling a humongous change was on its way. But with time, it all fussed out. And two and a half years after that horrific crime shook us all up, Nirbhaya's family, and her country are prohibited from watching what she went through.
Words fail me. You sacrifice your women first and then you go on to making them national heroes! Why such double standards?
Nirbhaya was supposedly every politician's daughter after she left the world for a better place. This ban, these narrow mindsets and the highly preposterous behaviour, is such an INSULT to Nirbhaya, to every woman in this country, which ironically, is known to have an enormous numbers of deities & goddesses who are worshipped day in and day out. We have mocked INDIA'S daughter.

I am more than sure that a "Nirbhaya" exists in every nook and corner of this land of COWARDS, bound by the shackles of helplessness, fear & suffering. She might shout or scream, but her voice would go unheard. She would either learn to live with eternal darkness, or succumb to her misery. There can be no greater shame for a country than the fact that every young girl curses her destiny for being born there.

If you continue suppressing the one who is right, matters would just go from bad to worse. Will you stop a girl from being a girl? Is it in her control? Why should it even be? It is not a fault but a privilege to be born as a woman! But unfortunately, I guess it will still take decades before an Indian girl can feel proud of her being! The need of the hour is to bring about a change in how men think, speak and behave. These are things that need to be worked upon right since a boy is born. You don't require a PhD to understand that there is no life without WOMEN! Literally and otherwise...

We don't wish to be idolized or worshipped. We don't wish to be treated superior. We are strong enough not to expect any favours. We don't ask you to celebrate us!
All we need is the love, respect & dignity we are worthy of, something we rightfully deserve!

Happy Women's Day? Instead, strive and make each day HAPPY for women. That is all they need!
More power to us WOMEN!


R