Happy Happy Birthday Amitjee :D

Over the years of growing up, i kept hearing stories from Paa and Grandmom about how they used to watch every film of Amitabh Bachchan, first day first show. If they didnt get tickets in the theatre near home, they would go to any theatre anywhere in Mumbai, but not miss the first day first show of his film. 8 years back i fell in love with this man, Abhishek Bachchan. I knew he was Amitabh Bachchan's son. But that was never a reason for me to like him, to be precise love him. I was 14 then. Probably too young to understand the greatness of Amitjee, to understand his work, to understand why he was a legend. Though even then, Silsila was my favorite film. I was awestruck with his larger than life persona. And i still can watch silsila endlessly.

With time, as i came to know more about him, more than the love i started developing respect for him. Amitjee now kind of seems to have become my hero, an inspiration to so many of us. I learnt that the greatest people are the ones who are the most humble and grounded. Just as my respect for Amitjee continued to grow, similarly my respect and love for AB has also grown over the years. As far as AB is concerned, i actually have to sometimes remind myself, that he is a star. He, just like Amitjee is so humble and grounded, that sometimes you think he is your friend, and not a star.

Getting back to expressing myself with regards to Amitjee, i feel he is so much more than just an actor, because of the way he has touched hearts of so many people around the world. Because of the way, he brings a smile on to so many faces. While i watch KBC i realise i have a huge grin on my face all through. And then i see Maa or Paa's face...and they have that smile too. Its just amazing to know that. Can anybody match the depth of his eyes? Yes, AB can. His charm, his charisma has been intact over the years. Be it Satte pe Satta, Don, Chupke chupke, Silsila, Muqaddar ka sikander.... or even his cameos in so many movies.. the experience of watching him on screen cannot be described in words. But i have really no caliber to say anything about him. Im just too chotu to do that. No praise, no compiment can match what he truly deserves. Yet on recieving compliments, he says, " Main inn shabdon ke laayak nahi hoon". If he says that, toh phir hum toh kis khet ki mooli hai? Thats the beauty of the person that he is.

No. Amitabh Bachchan is not God. I think he is a just human being who is anything but ordinary, to have touched so many hearts. He truly deserves every bit of love that he gets. And what amazes me is this wonderful co-incidence that this person who i love...Abhishek Bachchan happens to be the son of Amitabh Bachchan. Hahaha. I know i can be crazy at times...At times??? Naaah! I can actually go on and on with this. Because there are so many things i would want to express. But for now..let me just conclude with this, "A Very very happy birthday Amitjee. Stay healthy and keep inspiring all of us. Thank you for making us smile always with your presence"



Lots and lots of love,

ChotuMissMuffet.

Chotu cheezein, Badi si muskaan! :)))))))))

Yaad karo woh din jab aap chote the..na toh kisi baat ki samajh thi aur naahi koi tension. Is bhaagti hui zindagi mein bachpan toh bahut hi zyada peeche choot gaya. Par agar hum chahe toh thode se bachpane ko zarur zinda rakh sakte hai,balki rakhna hi chahiye. Have you seen how that little child would smile if you give him a toffee?? Its priceless. Itni sachi,itni khoobsurat muskuraahat shayad hi hamare chehre par ab dikhai deti hai. Bade hote hote, badi cheezon ke peeche bhaagte huye, shayad hum in choti choti cheezon ko, in choti khushiyon ko bhool hi jaate hain.

For me, its all about finding happiness in these small things. Getting bigger things in life, is difficult, and while chasing them, you might just lose the things that you already have. I do aim for bigger things in life, i do dream big, but no, i shall never compromise on these bundles of joy that life has in store for us. I'm the most happy when i hug my parents, when they smile at me, when i play with that little neighbour of mine, when i go down and play cricket with those little boys, when i have bhutta baarish mein, when i have wada pav as i walk all by myself, and as i keep popping toffees in my mouth every now and then. Not to forget the happiness i get in receiving a heart felt text message or a call. These things may seem so little, so tiny but they matter so much. Most people don't value it, probably because they are priceless.

Badi cheezein haasil karne mein kya khushi milegi janaab, jab zindagi ki choti khusiyon ka hi aapne lutf nahi uthaya. Kabhi kabhi bachpana accha hota hai...taaki phir hum zindagi ki gehraiyon ka saamna khushi se kar sake. Toh dhoondien yeh chotu si cheezein joh aapko ek badi si..bilkul badi si muskaan degi, and then i want to be there to see and capture that smile on your face....


P.S Mutthi bhar khushiyaan aapke liye :-)

Much love,
Chotumissmuffet

A world where both exist!

The famous adage goes, “Behind every successful man is a woman.” We've all grown up on this and many more such adages. Over the years, we've been hearing things like men are the superior ones and stories of the kind. With time passing, this has led to us forming innumerable pre-conceived notions and stereotypes about each other. Though the scenario appears to change in recent times, we still seem to have a long way before we shed our inhibitions and stereotypes and accept this change.

Despite the speedy development, we still believe in what we call “ The battle of the sexes” as oppose to doing something which is fair and justified. All this, as a result of type-casting. Women are weak, men are disloyal and more of these is what we've been made to believe. Women are emotional, but being emotional is not parallel to being weak. Emotions could perhaps turn out to be one's greatest strength. Also, it needs immense vigor to accept being emotional as a part of one's individuality. Few men could be unfaithful but again, that's not a reason enough to typecast them all as bad. This leads to nothing but the formation of uncanny prejudices. And drawing baseless conclusions on the basis of these prejudices is highly unreal. The point that I'm trying to make is that being a woman, I respect our kind, and I'm proud to be one. But I wouldn't be a standard feminist and support something which I know is wrong. Womanhood and feminism are two really strong words, really different from each other. Guess it's time.. we think rational. And it's time we think first as a human and then as a man or woman.

Times have changed for sure, but have we changed as much? Though we do hold big claims,somewhere the level of thinking doesn't seem to rise and stereotypes seep in. What we think, moulds us into who we are. Let us come to accepting the fact that both men and women need each other equally and are equally significant to each other's existence. Climactically, the two need to, hand-in-hand cover a journey called 'Life' and yes I mean this literally :-) :-)

Much love,

ChotuMissMuffet 

Fantasy-Land!

"Get a reality check" is something we keep telling ourselves, or others every now and then. Because, reality my friend could be totally different from how you or me perceive it to be. A big difference between how we perceive things..and how things are for real. Hence it does get important to be practical even as one perceives things. And in this practical 'real' world...do dreams have a place?

Well for me, the answer is 'yes' though i wouldn't like to use the term 'dream'. I would use the term 'fantasy'. Just as you very much are a part of the real world, its important to make some place for fantasies. When one uses the term 'fantasy', people tend to think of it from just one single perspective. But for me fantasising is all about imagination. Imagining a particular situation few years down the line, imagining your career the way you want it to be, your dreams, your aspirations, et all that. But, let's not just call this 'day-dreaming' all right? 

The key is to not hold high expectations for your fantasy to turn into reality because you obviously don't wish to get shattered when your dream doesn't come true. But, fantasising does make you happy. Makes you smile. Gives you hopes. Moreover, it motivates you to work hard towards what you wish to have. I'm dreaming. But, I'm dreaming, keeping in mind the actual reality. And, that is making me smile. That is, giving me something to look forward to. How will you work towards something when you don't even dream of it? You definitely are not losing anything by fantasizing, it only is giving you something to be happy about. And if your fantasy does turn into reality, it's a cherry on the cake :D Fantasising does take you away from the real world for time being. To be precise, it's a much needed break from reality, like a vacation. And I'm sure, this break is what all of us wish for! 

So why not jump into the 'Fantasy-Land' every now and then, and you never know...your fantasy might just turn true...it has happened to me..shall happen to you too :):)

PS- On that note, here's some 'chocolate Fantasy' for you :D

Much love,
ChotuMissmuffet.

The Famous 'F' word! 'Friend'

Go back in time! Visualise the famous "Yeh dosti" song featuring Jai and Veeru. All those movies that you've grown up on, or your parents have grown up on. Friendship amidst other relationships has always been used as a backdrop. Woh Dosti jiski log misaal diya karte hain...Woh dost jiske liye jaan bhi haazir hai. Waah waah! Cut to present. Reality seems different. Nowhere similar to what movies show. Nowhere near what it used to be.

Is bhaagti hui zindagi mein..hum bahut si baatein bhool jaate hain..bahut se logon ko bhool jaate hain. Today the meaning of the term 'friend' seems to have changed. People who you 'hangout' with, are called 'friends' specially with the teenagers today. People who you have 'fun' with are called 'friends'. People who you drink, go for a smoke with are 'friends'. Not just blaming one person, but everybody, may be all of us have become a very integral part of the mean world. You are good to someone, friends with someone, only till you need that someone. Where now does that 'gehri dosti' exist?

And then...comes a time when amidst all the fun that you're having, all the people around you, you still feel lonely. Think about it. That probably is because..all this while you've been searching for 'people' to hang out with and not searching for a friend to share your thoughts with. I have particularly never had a group. I've always had individual friends with whom I've loved to spend some quality time over coffee, over good food where we've laughed together, cried together. Shared similar thoughts, argued over things due to difference of opinions. Created memories. Unforgettable memories. Though somehow, I find myself just giving too much in any relationship, be it friendship even. Hence end up being taken for granted. I've had people who I've called friends, who've actually not deserved that 'tag'. 

The point I'm trying to make is, 'Get the difference. Get the difference between a 'friend' and an 'acquaintance'. Also the term 'best friend' is highly over-rated. Quality friends matter much more than the number of friends you have. Pick those quality friends and value them. Valuing people who care for you is so important. Value people who love you and you really don't need one special day to make them feel special. Make friends. Just that...in the quest to find and make 'friends' don't forget your 'parents'. No body could be better friends than them. :-) 


Much love,

ChotuMissMuffet

The way i see it-Marine Drive

Maddening crowd, traffic, glamour, dreams. The mention of these words and you know that it is 'Mumbai' that one is talking about. Just as the adage goes, "Mumbai-the city of dreams" where people come with so many dreams, aspirations. Most people here, remember their dreams, desires...Just that amidst all this, they forget themselves. Something called as 'peace' loses its meaning and importance.

Mumbai's description without mentioning Marine Drive is incomplete. Marine Drive is yet another significant thing to Mumbai, though I wouldn't find it appropriate to call it a 'thing'. During a conversation with a friend, we realised that Mumbai has everything,one would want, one would desire.But what it lacks is probably a place where one could go and cry. Just cry. Amidst all the hustle-bustle, expectations that the city and the people of the city have from you, where do you find your 'lost self'. For me, the answer could be Marine drive. Well, if it's not 'the place' you could make it 'the place'. For me, its the place where i could connect to 'me'. More importantly its the place that inspires me. Inspires me to stay healthy, because walking there is a pleasure. Inspires me to be myself. I gaze at the sea, and realise the fact that it never changes. It does what it has in its nature, does what it is meant to do. It does have its mood-swings like we all do. But its basic nature remains the same, always. When the sea remains 'itself' then why cant we? All of us want to 'be somebody' in this big city, but the point is, " What else could you probably be if you cant be yourself?"

Marine Drive makes music sound beautiful. Makes you fall in love. Perhaps what I did detested about it was the excessive public display of affection that happens. But now I do realise that it is one of the charms of marine drive. High time that people stop taking Marine drive for granted and consider it as a boon. Climatically i would just say, " Take a walk at marine drive, sit there, gaze at the sea, find that inner peace, find yourself, and you shall come back with a huge grin :-)"

P.S - Earlier I had noticed that there's not a single dustbin on the whole of marine drive. Lately, I see a few. But we need many more of them :)

Much love,

-ChotuMissMuffet

The race for one's alma mater perhaps, future alma matter

          You wish to lose weight? Or perhaps wish to waste your time because ur doing nothing? Then you should probably appeal to the Government or these colleges..to have some admission procedure each day! Yes. It indeed was a rather eventful tuesday. I remember the time when i had to take admission in college after my SSC board examination. And it was rather a simple procedure. Now it seems to be Rocket Science, more so because of the 'online admissions'. No body has any idea as to what's happening. May be they should try switching to IDEA! Okay now dont kill me for that lamest joke. But seriously, how complicated has this become. The students have to bear the consequences, and also the parents. And apparently it looks like people who score less than 80 or 85% dont deserve to go to college.
           
        The brother just gave his SSC this year. Scored pretty decent 88%, to be precise 87.82%. Yet a whole lot of complications, though pretty less than what few others had to face. Due to some problem in his name in the list, had to go to the Government office at charni road, Bal Bhavan. And what i see there was so many parents coming with so many queries. Forget Parents, I see a grandfather coming there whose grandson's name didnt come in the list in any of the top colleges inspite of him scoring a great total of 502 out of 550. Yes! Later i come accross a girl, who scored 76%, got admission in some combined school/college at Saki Naka, in a slum area..where the college had hardly anything else than the roof. All of us, waiting for that Government Authority to come, to solve these problems. He comes. He enters office at 12 noon, when the admissions start at 10 am in various colleges.

        Where are we heading? Where is our education system heading? Now the students are studying, only to get good colleges, only to further on get good jobs. Where is the development of their personality happening? Where is the overall development of the child happening? This is nothing else but a race. A race to get a good college..to get a good job. Also how much more?? If even a percentile of 85 seems less? Is what u see on paper good enough a criteria for a good college, or perhaps a good job. Well if it is that way then..this is highly disappointing. This might be depressing to students who are not excellent in the academics, specially if they get colleges like these. I did feel bad having come across things like these.

    Though Thankfully..the brother did get his admission at KC college. So the day has been full of running around here and there. From going to various colleges, to going to school to arranging various documents. And then rushing back to office. Each day here is a struggle, though the quantity of struggle keeps changing each day. And now one more struggle i have lying ahead..THE GYM!

Khair..chalo..yeh sab chalta hi rahega..Aap bas kisi na kisi bahane se muskura diya karo..hum bhi muskuraenge :) :) Bahut zyaada chapad chapad ho gaya nai? Much love :)

                                                                                                   -ChotuMissMuffet
   

A new beginning

We're already into the month of August...and the time seems to have flown by. Today though does seem like a very regular monday with people as usual cribbing about the traffic, and well ofcourse the monday blues. After a lovely cozy weekend, monday does seem difficult specially with a weekend that has just gone by. The rains paid a long visit, making us not want to leave the comfort of our houses. Just amidst all the laziness that persisted..a thought came in that i should write something..! Bas, phir kya tha..All i wanted was, my window, coffee, marie vita, my diary and pen. I love that feeling. Where once the pen starts moving..th flow of thoughts just finds its way..without even stoping for a bit to elaborate that thought. Har Din, Har Pal, Hamare zehen mein dher saare khayal aate hai..kuch acche..kuch bure..Aur kuch khayal aise joh hamein itne zyaada dilchasp lagte hai ki woh mehez ek khayal bankar nahin rehte..! Bas Aaj joh main yeh likh rahi hoon..likhna shuru kiya hai..woh isi ek chote se khayal ka natija hai.! After all thats exactly why its said, "Sometimes its just the thought that matters" So here i am..with an inspiration from my thoughts..to Blog! To express myself..to express my thoughts..and to keep in touch with my hobby of writing.. This is me..ChotuMissMuffet..Chotu, a simple girl..with big dreams..with a big heart..with lots of love within..Hoping this shall continue in the long run too! Hoping to have a great week ahead..with the start being good in a way :)