And somewhere in that chaos, a headline emerged: Actor Sanjay Dutt arrested for possessing an illegal rifle. He said he bought it to protect his family after receiving threats. The courts later cleared him of terrorism, but not possession.
Everyone remembers that part, everyone knows that story.
But the story I’m telling isn’t about the mosque, or the riots, or the blasts. It’s about how Sanjay Dutt unknowingly became part of my story.
A Simple Assignment. Nothing More (Or So I Thought)
It began during my journalism course.
Topic: The Rise and Fall of Sanjay Dutt.
I researched and presented it.
A few days later, a fellow student approached me. She’d missed the class as she developed conjunctivitis.
She’d heard from her hostel mates that the assignment was “worth reading”, as she couldn’t watch it.
I lent her the notes. That’s where the story turns.
From Notes to Conversations to Something More
A few days later, we met to discuss the assignment. Then we met again — without the assignment. And slowly, conversations stretched.
And something clicked.
Until that point, I had mastered the art of silent admiration — liking someone quietly, never acting on it. But love, or whatever that early-20s version of it was, had its own plans.
Ironically, the man whose story brought us together — Sanju Baba — was behind bars then. I’d chosen his life story because it fascinated me: a reel hero living a rollercoaster real life — fame, loss, rebellion, redemption.
The relationship didn’t last long— it ended the year after Dutt got bail. Baba and I both moved on, back to our regular lives. 🙂
The Takeaway
Not every beginning leads where you imagine.
But every moment you choose to engage — to say yes, to lean in, to take a chance — expands your life just a little. And sometimes, that’s enough.
That brief interlude remains a gentle reminder that sometimes, life challenges you for simply showing up, saying yes, and sharing your notes.
About Me
I am a thinker at all times. I see, I think. I hear, I think. I read, I think. Every weekend I write. I would love to know what you think.