“It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is and not according to what he has.” ~ Henry Ward Beecher.
Don’t we all crave to witness such selfless and undying love in the real world? Don’t we all wish to be the “be all and end all” in the life of the one we love?
I grew up reading Mills and Boon during my school days and I too dreamed of a knight in shining armour who would sweep me off my feet. But as I made my way into the BIG BAD WORLD, the harsh realities of love and relationships hit me hard. I eventually came to terms with the fact that the concept of a perfect man or a perfect love per say varies from person to person. Since then fictional characters failed to impress me and I decided ‘never’ to take a fancy to them ever again. In my world they were too perfect to be true.
But as they say never say never, Mohan Bhatnagar made his entry on 9th Jan 2012 in the show Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha; he came, he lived and he conquered my heart completely and I found myself falling hook, line and sinker over this amazing fictional character.
‘Unconventional’ is the middle name for Mohan Bhatnagar. He is impulsive, clumsy, flawed, and anything but perfect. With his boy next door image, his character is so real and relatable. He is like any other ordinary guy you would bump into, become friends and eventually may fall in love in the real world.
But what makes Mohan so irresistibly desirable? Is it his ability to be himself without being worried about the world or is it that he is not pretentious and is true to himself? If you compare Mohan Bhatnagar to Amar Vyas, he may appear to be an immature and irresponsible individual, but to me he is more than perfect in his own way.
Mohan may not be a typical father, a son or a husband but he knows how to keep his loved ones happy. Under the mask of a clumsy and carefree reporter lies an extremely sensitive, loving, passionate and a righteous man. Mohan is a man who has his heart and mind in the right place and he was mature enough to let go off his ex-girl friend. “Uske liye sapnon ke ahemiyat zyaada thi aur mere liye pyaar ki.” He is a man who follows his heart and it reflects in his relationship with Guru and Nanhi. From my stance I may not be able to be friends with a 7 year old with as much ease as Mohan Bhatnagar is able to do and I may not treat them as my equal either.
“Mushkil hi nahi asambhav hai ek aisa achha imaandar ladka milna jo do bacchon wali widhwa se shaadi karne ke liye raazi ho jaye.” As bitter as it may sound, these words from Renu states the harsh reality of our current society. By the same token, you also have men like Mohan Bhatnagar who gives a ray of hope to women and inspires me to believe that good men and goodness, however limited it may be, still exist in the world.
“Sach toh yeh hai sahara inhe mujhse nahi, mujhe inse mila hai. Pyaar inhe mujhse nahi, mujhe inse hua.” This confession of Mohan clearly states the fact of him loving Megha wholehearted and unconditionally. Despite the fact he will never be her “first” love, Mohan’s feelings for Megha only got stronger with time. He has and he will go to any extent to ensure that the smile on Megha’s face never fades away, “kyunki jab Megha muskurati hai toh Mohan ki duniya khil uthti hai.” Mohan’s selfless love for Megha and her children makes him stand tall in my eyes and respect him for his courage knowing that his love may not be reciprocated.
“Unless its mad, passionate, extraordinary love, it’s a waste of time. There are too many mediocre things in life; love shouldn’t be one of them.” ~ Dream for an Insomniac
Love for Mohan is not a mediocre in his life. In last Friday’s episode, when Mohan catches a glimpse of Megha in the crowd, the array of emotions that played on his face left me spell-bound. Mohan had eyes only for Megha, as he sees her desperately trying to reach him. His world came to a standstill and he had a serene look on his face as he realised that Megha does hold a place for him in her heart. Nothing mattered to him in that moment of time, when he saw the look of concern and worry in Megha’s eyes, ONLY for him. For Mohan, his life was standing in front of him, and if he had to embrace death in that moment, he would have done so with content and peace.
As I kept watching and absorbing that moment over and over again, I understood the significance of this beautiful saying…“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.” ~ Anonymous
Mohan’s love for Megha brings out his hidden vulnerability and his audacious nature. You can see him laugh, cry and fight with everyone and everything in the name of love. Megha may not have a perfect life with Mohan, but she will have enough love from him to make her life’s journey worthwhile. Granted that Mohan and Amar have only two things in common; their immeasurable love for Megha and Kishore Kumar, yet Mohan is the other facet of love that any girl would be lucky to have him as a partner. He will always be Megha’s pillar of strength supporting and encouraging her in every walk of life. Mohan is not a man of too many words, but his actions speak louder than words.
“True love is like ghosts, which everyone talks about and few have seen.” ~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Megha really is God’s chosen child who is being blessed with a second chance at happiness. Despite the fact that Fate had been cruel to her, she is fortunate enough to have Mohan in her life who loves her to death. Nothing can make a woman feel more worthy than the feeling of being “WANTED”. As Jeeji Bua rightly said “Lekin tu khush kismet hai Megha tujhe zindagi mein do do acche insaan mile hai”
Life as we know is unpredictable and no one has control over destiny. When I see the turbulent feelings that Mohan and Megha are going through, reminded me of a song that is so close to my heart....
Chahe jo tumhe pure dil se
Milta hai woh mushkil se
Aisa jo koi kahi hai
Bas wohi sabse hasi hai
Uss haath ko tum thaam lo
Woh meherbaan kal ho na ho
(Movie: Kal Ho Na Ho)
Just as the lyrics suggest, I hope Megha understands the importance of Mohan’s presence in her life. I hope with all my heart, that Mohan is able to unlock Megha’s turmoil, and give her the confidence to be able to embrace love the second time around and accept him as a part of her life.
Kunal Karan Kapoor’s brilliant portrayal of Mohan Bhatnagar, has made the character lifelike and has given hope to countless women to move forward by embracing life and giving a second chance at happiness.
Writers Gully