Small Steps to break free- Kadam Chota Change Bada

Maya, is there in everyone- in you, me and all of us!! We all have trudged the path which Maya walked on somewhere in our lives....been there done that,saw the impact and still lived with it!!
But Maya decided something else, a different turn, will she be able to sail through the storm?
We live in a society where there is no recognition for passion and your dreams are ranked by the society. For most parents, the decision regarding their kid's education, career and even marriage is solely based on the society. And if you dare choose something beyond, you're tagged and become the topic of discussion for years! It has been the way from don't know when and hasn't made a huge difference even today. Yes, there are a few in the dozens who have manged to tear the blinds and move forward to chase their dreams. But what about the others?

Maya is a free-spirited person who wants to break these shackles of the society and want to build the nest of her dreams! Will she make it till the end?

The Judg-"Mental" society!

"Beta, log kya kahenge agar tum..." (Kid, what will others say if you...) This is the only phrase that brings cold breeze in the house for every decision you make. Be it your clothing, your sense of humor, your hairstyle, you work timings and even the way you talk, you're judged for everything you do. As if there's nothing else to even care about, people are more interested to know what's happening in your life.
Man, grow up! Peep out of you window and look at the things around you. Everything in the world is changing- the weather, the political scenario, the world economy & much more. But all that wanders in your empty mind is to nook-the-hook inside your neighbor's door! Maya is so much frustrated with these daily taunts on her clothes, friends, hairstyle and her free-spirit! She decides to end her life.....

Why is it so important to judge others rather than letting them be themselves?

If your kid doesn't take up a professional degree or simply if he/she is not pursuing Engineering or Medicine or law then your screwed in the society! If your daughter decides to marry the guy of her choice then your reputation is over! When will people really come out of these myths?

Maya wanted to pursue her passion for arts as a career but her parents were not happy about her leaving her job for her passion. For them art was just a hobby and not a career. Maya was fed-up of explaining the outcomes of these myths to her parents and all she wanted was to talk to someone who could listen to her without being judgmental. She was living two lives daily and found it hard to cope up. Breaking into pieces from inside and she finally decides to put an end to this suffering. She took the knife in her hand and started to pierce it through her veins.....blood started oozing out!

Maya...

After moments of silence.... there was a knock at the door! She was in a state of shock and scared to walk out of her room! Who could it possibly be at the middle of the night? Her dad woke up and opened the door. It was too dark to see and he switched on the light. As Maya was struggling from the pain of her bleeding wrist and was not in a state to walk out... She decided to stay in her room.

There was a naked man at their door  and he kept saying "Om Namah Shivai, Kuch khane ko dedo" (Chanting the name of Lord Shiva, Can I get something to eat?) Her dad was half-awake and couldn't really understand the whole scenario and thought he might be a thief or a mad person! So, he asked him to leave and closed the door. There was a knock again! That naked man kept saying the same thing and stood right outside their door. The dad got irritated and called her name "Maya kitchen mein dekho kuch khane ko hai kya?"( Maya check for food in the kitchen). His voice was so stern that she ignored her pain ,wrapped a band-aid across the wrist and stepped out of the room. She got some food from the kitchen and they gave it to him. He left immediately after taking the food. While getting off the stairs he murmured something " Ud Jaa" (Fly away) Maya and her dad were both in different worlds mentally so they totally ignored him and went back to their respective rooms. Maya was alive!!!

Sometimes the small steps you take to put an end might be a beginning!

Maya Met Harry!

The next morning her dad brings a talk about marriage! He said to Maya, "You have finished your engineering and having a good job, now it's time for you to get married." Inside her mind was a volcano all set to burst! It was like a checklist that every parents have - Education : tick, Job : tick, marriage : tick, grandchildren: tick & the list if never ending!
Maya was too frustrated with the things around and felt like may be things might change once she gets married and so "She said yes". Her dad shows her a picture of the "man of her dreams" and immediately she felt a connect! They spoke for hours over the phone and agreed to get married. Yes, it might sound funny and unreal but that is how they said yes simply over a phone call!!!

It is rightly said that love is magical and it spells its cast where ever you are!!!

The New Chapter!

Their marriage was just like the fairy tale wedding of Harry and Megan!! And it marked a new beginning in their lives! Harry was more like a friend than a husband with whom she can talk for hours without being judged! Maya shared her passion for art and how unhappy she was with her current job. He supported her to take the baby steps to chase her passion! He motivated her to step out of these shackles and be herself. It was because of him that she enrolled herself in a distant learning programme for visual arts and took her first step for a new beginning.The tiny steps created a pavement to become an Artist!

She recalled the incident of the naked man from the past and the reason why she was alive! "Ud jaa" was not just words of the past and it was the state of her present- Flying high chasing her passion for art and exploring the world of colors.

Everything is life has a reason. Don't give up when things are not in your favor. Wait for the dark clouds to pass and see what the sun shine brings!!!

Maya chose to walk in the path for herself without worrying about the society. She found her prince charming who supported her to take the small steps to chase her dreams. There is a Maya in everyone of us! Don't wait for your prince charming to take the first step. The power lies in you and all you need is to take that first step to become unstoppable.

Live your dream!!!!

Every change begins with a small step, whether it’s a change within your family, or the whole country! India’s hero, Padman, had its digital premiere on ZEE5, on 11th May. Don’t miss this inspiring true-life story, only on ZEE5. Download the app and subscribe now. For every subscription, ZEE5 will donate Rs. 5 towards the personal hygiene needs of underprivileged women.

The Trips and Drips of our journey

The Trips and Drips of our journey

Have you ever felt more alive than now?

I had to ask this to know if this is the thing that connects us.
Life was so different...so normal....until............ I met you. Everything around me seemed meaningless except u. But ever since our current phase started, i miss u with every tick-tic of the clock, with every lub-dub of the heart, with every twinkle of the star & every time i breathe. The clouds of struggle started making me lose myself into the world of non-existence. 
Change is the harsh reality of life but when it really strikes, its even harsher. 

The fairy tale phase!

Baking for monthly anniversaries

Our marriage was no less than a fairy tale which started with all magical courtship fun, late night Skype calls, Whatsapp chats and exchanging photos & more! Thanks to the technology we could enjoy every bit of our long-distance phase in the best possible way. It was really like a dream come true! Marrying someone who actually existed in your dreams and exactly the way you had imagined every inch of him, yes it happened. 

The initial months were so beautiful and romantic! Mornings were busy as we had to rush for work and days were not normal anymore. Chatting and calling in between meetings was more fun than playing a video game. Waiting for the clock to strike 7 to embrace the existence of our love and exchanging hugs & kisses was like the best time of the entire day. Finally, team-up to make dinner and explore our hands at the kitchen was like an everyday battle. Surprising each other with small gestures, romantic texts, cooking special cuisines etc. and we were falling in love each day!

The best thing about our relationship is that we share everything be it everyday chores, gossips, emotions etc. and there is no Man-Woman stigma attached. We both believe in equality, team work and sharing our load with each other. It was more of a learning phase and getting accustomed to new people and things. We started knowing more about each other's likes and dislikes, habits and hobbies, passion and motivation etc. And we discovered our shared passion of Arts, cooking, writing, and travelling. These 3 things created a much-more intricate and deep passage into each other's heart. We created a list of places to visit and start our travel exploration. The first 2 years of marriage, we visited close to 60 places that includes 12 countries, 23 cities & more. Every trip made us explore something new about each other. It was like unveiling layers from our hearts to get to the real us! Some trips were adventurous, some were relaxing and few were crazy.

The trips and drips!

Welcome to the challenging phase! 

After 2 years of expedition, we started realizing that its time we need to put our bags somewhere and settle down. We started our research for the ideal place. There were different criteria from both sides to be considered such as distance from our home country, travel time, time difference etc. etc. and the list was long. And we decided on building a saving nest before we proceed further.
So, it all started with running behind our dream and chasing the so-called need of life "Savings". Its very easy to read lots of blogs that talk about saving money and quick ways to build savings. But in reality, its a big challenge to reach your financial goals. 

The journey to build savings started with cutting down on unnecessary stuffs and by that I meant travel! It was the phase of "no-more trips" so that we can save some dollars. We started evaluating our budget, income and expenses, etc. to understand our financial situation. 

On the other hand, the stress to save money covered up our sky like the black clouds. Giving a second thought to every expense we make, working on weekends, cutting down on entertainment costs etc. Things started to change, there was no time for each other. We were more busy on filling the blocks of money and forgetting to spend time together. It felt like we are losing each other and the relationship is fading. The burden of responsibility started taking over and we were too lost in our works that we could hardly talk to each other. 

Although we were chasing the same dream, it was difficult to deal with it on the other end. Initially, we had so much time for each other and now it was gone.We started fighting for petty things, losing control over emotions and not talking for hours. It was like an outbreak of emotional burst that was caused by something else. It was difficult to handle that stress and reality together. 
 I started feeling that we have become like the typical ones who just forget their love with each passing year. That thought kept wandering in my head and I started losing myself. I started looking for a let out to share my pain and I found solace in art. 

And the day finally came when we reached our financial goals and could breathe for a while. He started to do the things which he used to do before. I realized that it was just a phase and things won't change between us. This onerous phase gave us an opportunity to know how we deal with challenges and to unveil another layer. We started to see a different perspective of life that we both carry and how they both lead to the same destination "Unconditional Love".

Tough times may feel worse but they definitely teach something! So, wait for your phase to end to understand what you've learnt.

P.S: True love can sail through all storms!