So.. you can imagine, TV ka keeda toh mujhe kaatna hi tha. Main jab 20 saal ki hui toh TV pe YFilms (Yash Raj ka TV production) ne kuch revolutionised content nikala. baakiyo ka mujhe pata nahi, but mere liye woh content bahut manaye rakhta tha.
Aaj bhi agar main poochun, toh shayad hi kissi woh serials yaad honge but jahan logon ne woh wala Era dekha yah suna nahi, maine shayad jeeya hai.. & that's an old page from my diary, I keep visiting!
Woh TV pe you know “content” dekhte dekhte main kuch bahut content (hindi mein sukhi) ho jaati thi and apni hi ek duniya bana leti thi.
Aisa ek serial joh main shayad 15-16 saalon baad bhi apne aap se nahi nikal nahi paayi hun.. was Mahi Way.
Mahi Way was a story of a 25 years old, overweight girl whose dad was supportive, a brother and sister (well like any other siblings) and a Mom who gives marriage a big importance in life, rather an achievement.
Over achiever Behan and Judgmental bhai ke beech mein.. office crush se le kar, apne neighbour ka aapse bachpan se pyaar hone tak.. woh serial ne mujhe Delhi se and apne aap se pyaar karna seekha diya.
She was an agony aunt column writer in a magazine, who used to probably solve third world problems in a jiffy. Being bullied for weight, being supported by best friends and having back of the father was something I could relate the most.
I was always an obese kid (well, I still am) and till certain years ago, people did not look me beyond my weight.
With multiple boy friends, a heart break because of weight, and in a quest for love … Mahi started to love herself... something I did. I had my share of heartbreaks and unlike Serial, neither my best friend fell in love with me nor my ex boy friend came back to sweep off my feet.
Despite, facing many challenges.. Mahi did not give up on herself nor on her dreams; just because she was supposed to get married to the most eligible bachelor in town.
Well, I could relive all the 25 episodes of that series in my gut. I have cried, I have laughed and in my brain.. I have given hundreds of answers to people who demeaned me. Inspite of having an epic sense of humor, my confidence was always a low key.
But, then the serial changed something in me.
I dont know.
Should I give the entire credit to “Mahi Way” or to those multiple failed relationships, that taught me something... or the support of my friends, of my partner or of my family, or the biggest supporter of my life - me, myself!
How you see me today, was not the same Richa I used to be. I used to hide behind my best friends too, did not have confidence to swim in public, even for small portions of food.. I had to justify that I don't eat that much.
A hundreds of tests, a thousands of judgments, a millions of judged eyes I have passed through and reached here, where I am today! And I am fucking proud of it.
As they say, you cannot change the people around you, but you can always change the circumstances... I did change it and own the bitch called life!
To that 23 something Richa, if I could ever go back in time.. I might have stopped her from making some mistakes, made her learn the best of everything and showed her that life is beyond rejections, heartbreaks, falling in and falling out of love.
All this while, looking for mere wala ishq, joh mujhe ab mujhse hai!
Just like Mahi - I have my own lessons to share, my own heart breaks to deal with, my own people to fell out of love for.
The crush you think was love, was only a crush, the dream job you thought you had, wasn’t probably your dream job... and the person you made plans to be with it, wasn't THE ONE either.
Toh kya hua, that life did not move the way you have planned it. So what, that the 38
year Richa is still stuck somewhere between 23 year old one..
The real struggle is to find yourself, in the chaotic and the silent world, that's the real deal.
And, the sooner one realises it, learns it, the better.. after all, that’s what they say, that’s the way, Mahi Way!
P.S. - Following the same tradition of watching "Mahi Way," once in every 2-3 years.I watched last episode aired again and the flashback of entire series ran through my mind, telling me why I fell in love with myself, in the first place
