The word ?Re-take? finds maximum use in the virtual world i.e. the world of movies, soaps etc. where the make-believe world is made perfect to get the best possible result. I often wondered what would happen if in real-life we could avail of this reel-life advantage. How often do we find ourselves wishing things to turn out the way we would have liked, rather than the way these things eventually happen.

For example, wouldn?t Pakistani Cricketer Misbah-ul-Haq like to change the scoop shot,? he played in the T20 world cup finals that cost his team the trophy, if he could? Or would Aamir?s team have won the cricket match against the British in the movie Lagaan if there weren?t any ?re-takes?? Just imagine how nice it would be if we had the power of ?re-takes? in real-life too. Even with limited access to it, life would have been one big party. Well, however unusual it may sound, but destiny gave me this rarest of the rare opportunity to re-write the script of some parts of my life. But of course these ?re-take? offers came with the customary and legendary ?terms & conditions? that accompany every offer. Here, I am giving you a first-hand account of my ?re-takes? which I took hoping that they would fetch me the desired results. So, role tape, lights, camera and action.

? I?ll not give you any more reasons to complain. I grant you the power to change any two events of your life to your liking and satisfaction,? said God.

But wait, before I take you through to the above point in my life, where I was given the privilege to take ?re-takes? of any two events of my life, let me tell you how I got this chance.

I am Om – a 17 year old hard-core bollywood movie buff who always craved for the three Ms – Money, masti (fun) and Meenal. Meenal – the girl next door who I loved very much, but couldn?t muster enough courage to tell her about my feelings. But no love story is complete without any complications and a ?third angle?? The ?third angle? in this case was my best friend Gaurav! Quite a predictable plot, isn?t it?

Shah Rukh Khan’s character in the movie Om Shanti Om says: if you love someone truly & wholeheartedly, the whole universe conspires to help you get your love. So, banking on that piece of advice, I didn?t come in between Gaurav and Meenal as I did not want to be the Deewar (wall) between their Dostana (friendship). But, somewhere, I still felt the pinch of losing my love to Gaurav. He wasn?t a bad guy but surely was more ?blessed? than me. We knew each other from our orphanage days. Yes, we were orphans who finally were having families for the last 9 years. I don?t know who writes our destiny, but whoever had been writing the script of my life had churned out the biggest flop in the form of my life. That?s why the couple who had come to adopt me finally zeroed in on Gaurav, because looking at their plain and simple wardrobe I had refused to go with them. Only days later, I learnt that they were millionaires! Rubbing more salt on my wound was the fact that I landed up in the house next to Gaurav?s new house when a ?rich-looking? but a middle-class couple adopted me. That was the time I learned that looks can be deceptive.

I often pitied myself for landing up in a middle class family and living a compromised life where money constraints force everyday choices. It wasn?t hopeless but when compared with Gaurav who had everything I could only dream of -big house, swanky cars, and hordes of servants and of course, Meenal, – I did feel hard done by destiny. Gaurav always talked about living a contented life and about being satisfied with whatever we have. Nonsense! Only those who are the ?chosen blessed? people having all the money and comforts in the world, can afford to talk in such flowing words. I felt that all the preaching would vanish in thin air if he was made a live the life of a commoner. One night, I thought I have had enough of this ?compromised? life. I had this bottle of poison in my hand was about to gulp it down when I heard a voice calling out my name. I looked in the direction of the voice, and saw a very bright light in the sky. It was a bit unusual as it was a pretty overcast night.

Half-frightened and half-excited, I asked, ?Who?s there??

?Child, I?m God. I?ve noticed that you are not too happy with the life you?ve been given. What?s the problem?? I couldn?t believe my ears.

I asked, “are you really God??

The voice said, “Yes, my child. Tell me why you seem to be unhappy with the life you have been given??

?Why not, God? Why have you been so unfair to people like me? Why can?t we also enjoy all the worldly pleasures that we have been deprived of? Can?t you wave a magic wand and give unprivileged people like me much better reasons to live,? I complained.

?Child, life itself is a big privilege. Whatever human beings are today they are because of their good and bad ?karma?. I never do any kind of injustice to anybody. You are all my children and very special to me. Anyone can change his destiny by sheer hard work, honesty and perseverance. You are the maker of your own destiny,? said God.

?But you?ll have to admit that some people are born lucky. They seem to be getting all your blessings and ride their luck in whatever they do,? I argued.

On this, God said, ?I?ll not give you any more reasons to complain. I grant you the power to change any two events of your life as per your liking and satisfaction.Only you shall be aware of those changes. Others will be oblivious of the changes you make. You won?t be able to reveal those changes to anyone either. But you?ll have to keep a few things in mind before you execute the two changes.?

?What? Are you really serious God? Will I be able to change any two events of my life? That means, like the movie stars, I too will have the option of taking ?re-takes? to perfect the scenes of my life?? I asked excitedly.

?Yes, you can make those changes or in your words, you can take those ?re-takes? But you?ll have to take care of a couple of things. The 1st condition is that any of those ?re-takes? can?t bring any dead people back to life or cause anybody?s death.? I agreed to that and asked for the 2nd condition. ?Not now. I?ll tell that later. Anyways, I?ll be giving you a ring which you need to wear whenever you want to take those ?re-takes?. Just rub the ring three times, and say ?re-take?and you?ll be taken to that time period in your life that you want to chnage,? said God.

Suddenly, the light disappeared and I found a ring lying in front of me on the floor. I immediately pocketed it.

?What are you doing here?? asked a voice from behind.

It was Maa. I wondered if Maa had listened to my conversation with God. But her expression betrayed nothing.

“Nothing, maa. I was just feeling a little suffocated downstairs, so I came up on the terrace to have some fresh air,? I lied.

? OK, Come downstairs now.Tomorrow you?ve to wake up early to go to school,?said Maa and we headed downstairs.

I pinched myself again and again to make sure it wasn?t a dream.Wow! What a nice things had happened to me.

When the time came to choose the two re-takes, I thought long and hard. Finally, I zeroed in on the two events of my life which had robbed me of all I wanted to have- money, worldly comforts and Meenal. It had been 8-9 years since I had been living that ?unfulfilled? life. My 1st priority was to get Meenal. I still remember the day when Meenal expressed her love for Gaurav and how they confessed their love to each other with Gaurav giving her a beautiful expensive birthday card and she getting bowled over by that romantic gesture. So, here?s the account of my 1st re-take in the form of a poem-

A boy must be of minimum 21 years of age 2 get married is what says the law
But at 17 only, I used 2 fall for every beautiful girl I saw.

The one who fell prey to this was Gaurav my closest pal
As, I too had developed a crush on her gal.

I had heard the adage that everything is fair in love and war
It was decided that if I did not get her, I would take it as ?Grapes are sour?.

By the grace of god, I got the opportunity soon
A masterstroke was the need of the hour and I would be on top on the moon.

It was Meenal?s birthday in the month of January
and I saw Gaurav buying a birthday card and a blackberry.

As he went for a few minutes to the loo
I had almost decided what I had to do.

I opened the card & scribbled the encircled letter ?A? on top of her name
As only adult movies has the encircled ?A? attached to them, I?m sure it would embarrass her and put her to shame.

My plan paid off well as soon after they parted ways
I couldn?t help but grin at the sight of some happy days.

I got more and more close to her with each passing day
Till date we are going rock steady which only proves that I was right in doing what I did
and where there is a will, there is a way.

The 2nd Re-Take

With my love life back on track, I decided to go for the gold. I decided to make up for the ?incorrect? decision of refusing to go with the 1st couple who had come to adopt me.As I was about to say ?re-take? and travel to the desired time period, God appeared and made the proceedings a little complex. ?You can?t do a ?re-take? of that event of your life unless Gaurav is ready to swap his life with yours,? said God, throwing a thunderbolt at me.

“Why on earth would he leave all that, and live a ?compromised? middle class life? Only a fool would do that. Please God, don?t do this to me,? I pleaded.

Finally, God took a soft stand but again threw a ?surprise package? at me. “OK, that won?t be needed but if you want to take this particular ?re-take?, the other ?re-take? would be cancelled and you would lose your love,? said God.

I quickly made up my mind and replied, ?God if I have wads of money, I can get 1000s of Meenals at the snap of my fingers. I?ll go with this decision of mine. In today?s world, money and power is everything that matters. All other things revolve around these two things only.?

?As you wish,? said God and disappeared.

The next moment I saw myself lying on a Karan Johar movies-type lavish bedroom that Gaurav must have been using before me. Surrounded by servants carrying juices and towels, I felt like a movie star. I couldn?t believe all that was happening to me – swanky cars, air-conditioned rooms and hordes of servants at my service round the clock. Several months passed smoothly. I spared a thought for poor Gaurav who must be feeling the hardships of belonging to a middle class family which is full of ?compromises?. But to my amazement, he was the same satisfied and happy bundle of nerves he used to be. I wondered how could he live happily in such circumstances, as ?maa? and papa (my 1st parents) were not financially very sound. But I didn?t have time to pity him as I was already over-indulgent in my own world of cars, playstations and latest gadgets.But little did I know what was in store for me. Soon I started missing the ?human element? from my life. Most of my previous friends had distanced themselves from me because of my snobbish behaviour, and high-handedness. I had started weighing everybody and everything with money.

My new parents had no time for me. Even when I fell ill, doctors and servants were pressed into service but they never found time to sit beside me and comfort me. I was missing out on the small things that had provided me lots of happiness in my earlier life aand for which I didn?t show any respect. Now the tables had turned. Those little moments of joy with family and friends turned their backs on me. Right from the delicious paalak-paneer, to having paani-pooris with my peers, to dancing in the rain on the roads with them, I was missing everything. Those who were with me had some or the other ?expectation? from me. Nobody was genuine. Unlike my earlier friends and parents, their love and concerns were not genuine. I was reminded of King Midas?s story, who had to pay the price of losing his beloved daughter for his greed for gold and money. I wanted my earlier life back. I called upon God and pleaded him to give my earlier life back to me.

?Child. It?s too late now. It was you who wanted all the things that you are getting today. Then why are you backing out now? You had said that you can buy emotions, love and friends with money. So, go and do your purchasing. Why are you pleading?? God said angrily. I was shattered. I started crying, “Please God. I?ve realized that the greatest wealth in life is family and friends. I?ve learnt my lessons. Please?please return my life…I beg of you…? but God disappeared.

? What’s happened to you? Are you ok, Om? What are you murmuring??asked Maa, as I opened my eyes. ?Maa? was standing in front of me with an inquisitive look on her face.

It was a dream!

Nothing had changed. But that dream had taught me the lesson of a lifetime. May be that was God?s way of conveying his message to me. I hugged Maa.

“Maa, I?ll never leave you. One day, I?ll make you proud of me and give you every happiness that?s there in this world. I promise.?

?Maa? smiled and hugged me more tightly. “We are already proud of you Om. We are very fortunate to have a son like you,? she said affectionately. I had decided that now onwards, I?ll not brood over things that were beyond my control. I?ll work hard and carve a niche for myself and make my parents happy. I?ll make this average looking ?feature film? i.e. my life, a blockbuster. I promise. My picture had just ?begun?…I promise it’ll be a blockbuster.