Aimed It Right

Neena Gupta made a statement in her interview with Humans of Bombay that she doesn’t believe love exists between a man and a woman. She said it starts off with lust, which then changes into affection, and becomes a habit. The only love she’s ever known and felt is for her daughter, Masaba.

Neena is married to Vivek Mehra, a chartered accountant who she first met on a flight. Vivek Mehra has two children, and it’s his second marriage. It’s Neena’s second marriage too. She was earlier married at an early age of 20. She has one child, Masaba, from her previous relationship with the now retired West Indian cricketer, Vivian Richards.

Her statement about love evoked some vehement reactions ranging from she’s not met the right man to “blood runs thicker than water”.

Indians have an almost fanatic obsession with the salutation Dr. Even a child who barely understands the world around, when asked “what you want to become later in life?” usually blurts out a teacher or a doctor, as these are the professionals we first encounter early on in our lives.

I too, was fascinated with the white coat fascination alongside with the Dr tag, right from childhood. However, I did not score the marks required for getting into medical college, and my dream landed on the ground with a thud, and I went in for a graduation in sciences.

My graduation and post-graduation were a roller coaster ride and a second post-graduation which I pursued since I wanted to get into the academic career brought with itself a new perspective towards life. That year I shone like the brightest star and became the most meritorious student of the campus. I cleared my Net exam much before the post-graduation results were declared, and became a sort of sensation in the university.  One of my professors remarked, “So we see the next doctor in making now” when he congratulated me.