by Fariha Baloch
How can I ever forget the summer of 1998?!? Ok fine I forgot the month and the date but I know it was the summer of 1998. I was 11 years old and a massive Salman Khan fan (Ya Ya I know! What was I thinking?). One hot day, my uncle decided to take me to the shooting of HDDCS to see the love my life (puke puke). So me, an excited 11 year old and my cousin got ready and went to the studio (I forget the name but I think it was Film City). I remember it was very hot. My uncle has connections in the filmi world so he got us passes to meet the crew of HDDCS.It was a hot day but inside the studio was even hotter. The scene that was being shot that day was of a song called “Aankhon Ki Gustakiya”. As soon as I got in the studio, I started to search for Sallu. I found him talking to this hairy, rather scary looking man. Sallu looked upset but I decided to go near him anyways. I heard him tell that scary looking man how he wanted to smoke but the man told him he had to go outside because he couldn’t risk the sets getting ruined. At the end Sallu decided to go outside. As he was leaving, I went up to him and told him how big of a fan I am but what did he tell me? “Oh how sweet!” or “That’s Nice”? No!!! He said “Go to Hell!!” *shocked* and he left. I was left there with my mouth probably wide open. I wanted to cry but I was just empty of feelings. I turned around and was leaving but I saw this girl with a blue shirt and jeans sitting in a corner with some old lady in a green sari. The girl had her head down and first I thought she must be like me, heartbroken. But when I went near, I saw her reading something. Maybe she was in the movie too. I decided to speak to her!
I said “Hi!” and the girl looked up and I died. I was about to faint. She was the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. Her eyes were an indescribable color, shinning like stars on a clear sky. Her hair was so straight and shinny, brownish-goldish color. She was wearing no makeup at all and looked very tired but looked more beautiful than anyone I’ve ever seen. She smiled at me and I thought I was going to faint! Who is she? Is she even a human? Can’t be…she must be an angel and I must be the only one seeing her. She must have come down to earth to calm me down after the whole Sallu drama.
“Hello” she smiled once more. I couldn’t feel my legs anymore. Her voice was oh so sweet, like that of an angel. She was an angel! I found myself telling her how beautiful she is and she just laughed that laugh that made me go nuts! I told her to go enter the miss universe contest she will surely win. “I don’t think so. I entered already and I only won Miss World. I don’t think I can do it again, now.” What? Miss World? Who was she? Well I told her the only Miss World I knew was one called Ashwareeya Rai. And as far as I heard she was really fake. She surely can’t be that Ashwareeya. She asked me why I thought “Ashwareeya” was fake and gave me such a sad look. I really didn’t know I told her. I told her I heard Ashwareeya was in HDDCS and if she met her yet. She laughed and said “No sweety I haven’t met any Ashwareeyas yet but I did meet Aishwarya”. Oh well aren’t they the same person? So is she fake? “You tell me!” she said and I told her I will if I ever meet her. “Well she’s standing, no sitting *laughs* in front of you”. WHAT?!? She was Ashwareeya…I mean Aishwarya?!? She laughed and said “I am afraid so. So am I fake?” I said, “No, no, of course not! You’re not fake.” She laughed again.
Then some dumb dude came and told her to get ready so she said “Goodbye Sweety. Nice talking to you. You’re very sweet! Stay that way!” and left. I started to look for my uncle but I found out he left due to some important work but would be back to pick me and my cousin up. After two hours I was still waiting, then she came out of her dressing room, looking even more beautiful if that was possible. She was getting ready for Aankhon Ki Gustakiyan. In the next few hours (my uncle came like 6 hours later), I saw her work her butt off; not complaining once. In the hot weather she was working quietly and sweetly. When the shot was done, she would go back and sit next to her mother and at times smile at me. My admiration for her started there.
Even thought it would take me another two years to become a real fan of hers, I think it was that afternoon that I started admiring her. When my uncle came, we left but before we left, Ash waved at me and smiled; the smile that still makes my heart melt whenever I see it. That afternoon I’ll never forget. Even though with time, I am forgetting little details but in the whole I’ll never ever forget it because that was the afternoon when I met my role model.
