The World At My Feet

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The world @ my feet… - A small book by PRIYA

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It was touching, and what makes it so, is not 'cause you penned down what you thought; But 'cause you plumbed to the part of the heart which is in despair by such incidents. It's the same thing which makes these people compliment your thoughts, because they relate themselves to it too. And the way it ends makes it soothing. Cause doesn’t end at separation, but ends on a HOPE (the thing which makes this world go round) to bring back the same old magic to life.

P.S.HOPE YOU get to revive your MAGIC with your those friends again :)

Cheers PRIYA!!!!!

Rambo & Basky

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Rambo said... Wow..... Amazing :) swetha said... Hi priya, this is a nice book. I had the same kind of experience in my life. We were three member’s a gang. We used to enjoy a lot. Now one is in US other is in Bangalore and finally I am in Mumbai. Felt very bad of it. Missing all those days like u. :-( Dixie said… A Simple and Sensitive Narration!! loved it… aamma said... priya.....u left me with tears in my eyes....truly....it was an absolutely mind blowing book! Anonymous said... I was reading this post of urs for my mom (don’t ask me from where I got ur book) and trust me.....u left me choking midway......mind-blowing book lady!!!!!a biiiiiiiiig round of applause!!!!! priya said... Inspired by Paulo Coelho hmmmm!!!!!!so just do things which you love doing them and all the best for your ride to home.I am sure it will be bumpy,but there is no road without bumps on the way.......... bhav said... wowwwwwwwww dat certainly reminds me of my frenzzzzzzz:(( n my college days n my share of njoyment wid 'em..... "a very gud 1 again"........bhavz(ur critic;) ) manju said... priya ur thinking abt life is good and after passing "The Crossroads" i also collected my past life experiences .It’s a mind blowing one and the wish u and ur DIL CHATHA HAI friends may meet soon.........

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divya said... Wow!!!!!! Touchwood....u moved me into tears...!!!nd dis is quite an achievement dear....coz me n gettin so emotional 4 frenz!!!!u know what it is.......nywaz...u rock sissy.....juss keep goin....lukin fwd to many more of such kind.......... Anonymous said... Hi this is really a good one........but the if's teach us a lesson and they should be remembered no matter what was the result of that what if........... Ramya Ganesan said... Hey damn gud 1 lady!!!...vry much tru..we gotta thnk deeply bfore we plunge into action..thou i dnt[:D] swathi said... priya,this takes me back to my school n coll days where i njoyed utmost........I miss all my frns... Nazia said... Ahan sweets!!! Really gud one... !!! Of course we do miss our friends... :( and this line " In the journey called life, the one thing that is constant is change....." jst kewl.....(may b a fact too!!) So... keep rocking!!!

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After a hiatus

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The Crossroads

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Ho hah India???

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Life of WHAT IF'S

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Hyderabadi or Mumbaikar??

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Ordeal of CAT 1

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Ordeal of CAT 2

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Ordeal of CAT 3

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The Bumpy Ride Home

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The Flavourz

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After a hiatus

For somebody whose been writing since the age of twelve, to find out that one cannot write anymore can come as a rude shock...for me one very fine day, the urge to write, to express, to keep track of things...of thoughts… of moods...has been lost. Somewhere down the line, the joy of writing, of penning down the thoughts became extinct. Something was holding me back...something was not responding in me anymore...

Deep down, I realized that I was not moved by things anymore. Without my knowledge I started looking at things cynically. My dreams...my ambitions were crushed by this. I became bitter, impossible and adamant. Never once did I realize that my frustrations were pulling me down. I became closed. I became an oyster, clamped tight within myself.... Mundane things in life can be extraordinary at times. I never realized that one such thing would change my life...for me the star spangled night sky did the trick… thousands of glittering diamonds sprawled across the velvety darkness are enough to inspire anyone. I was no exception. in them I saw the vastness of universe, yet there was a sense of belonging...in them, I saw the mind-boggling dimensions of life....in them I saw myself… they filled me with joy, with an ecstasy beyond imagination, beyond the expression of words.

Under the star spangled night sky, I am alive once again.....my vigor, my urge to write if born again anew...

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The Crossroads

I remember reading somewhere life is all about making choices....I just found the quote interesting.....I did not attach much importance to it....I was after all in my 10th class at that time and one did not understand the extent of choices we need to take in life....At the very first crossroad of life… I chose to pursue MPC....After this choice the next decision was a logical one...I decided to pursue my engineering.....All said and done I was happy with this decision of mine and time just flew by......Before I realized, it was time to make a decision again.....and this time after much thought I decided to pursue MBA.....Now it's still in pipeline....

"No road is too long when you walk with a friend".....My all time favorite quote....The hurdles of life are bearable when you have a shoulder to lean on....If making choices at the different crossroads of life is a task in itself.....leaving behind a friend at every crossroad with each decision you make is even more tough....In the journey called life, the one thing that is constant is change.....At all the so called crossroads of life. I left behind a friend owing to the different choices we made....We chose to follow different paths to follow our destiny and realize our dreams....Life just moved on....and though we remained in touch. The magic was gone......where once upon a time we would spend hours speaking. We now spend just a few minutes on phone exchanging pleasantries...... That is the extent to which we moved on.......

The only silver lining during my pathetic college life was my gang of friends...In a typical Dil Chahta Hai ishtyle...we were 3 friends....and no day was gloomy when were together.......It's amazing how three different people with completely contrasting personalities can blend so easily and beautifully that every moment spent together was a beautiful art.....Every

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day brought with it, its share of adventure and fun and we would turn it into a masterpiece....The memories collected priceless and the experience. Simply mind blowing. Did we imagine what would be our life after college?? naahhhhhh…we were too busy enjoying the present moment to even spare a thought for the future...... Infect two of us decided to pursue the same path.....alas that was not to be....

While one of us decided that she would pursue her MS in US no matter what…. we decided that we would do our MBA in India.....while she left the shores in pursuit of her dream and her soon to be destiny. We stayed behind bidding her adieu...Our pursuit continued....and before I realized my destiny changed overnight and I'm placed at Mumbai.....Now as the reality slowly sinks in...I passed another crossroad in my life and now we are at three different locations...wondering how quickly life can change its course and uproot you from your comfort zone and send you to explore hitherto un-chartered territory......Do I miss my friends????....The obvious answer is yes...because they have with them a part of my life.....a part of me which would spring forth only when I am with them......because they brought out in me the side which was unknown till they decided to enter my life......... because they made me complete in their own way....

This is for you KP and RR.......You have with you a part of me in the same way as I have with me a part of you....... Meeting is pleasure Departure is pain But as the world is round. We will meet again!!!!

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Ho hah India???

Cricket... In India a religion… The team India...an icon…...the members.....demigods. No where in the world we find such adulation and admiration. We boast about having the best talent pool in the world of cricket. Sachin….the master blaster, Dravid ...the wall… the list goes on......every time team India enters the ground, a nation of 1 billion people awaits in bated breath...praying for their win. We are forever fervently hoping that they weave their magic on the field and trounce the opposition. They do trounce the opposition.....we indeed did win some spectacular matches...... The current going ICC championship trophy is a story which is better forgotten...considered as a warm up session before the world cup....we couldn't make it to the semifinals....blame it on whatever reasons...a number of star players not in their form, some injured....we still did not perform up to the expectations.... we bundled out of the game way too early and in a not so elegant fashion...

While we huffed and puffed to victory in the first match.....we lost in the second one. the do or die match against Australia saw us play like novices....the instinct...the urge to trash the opposition which was so much in evidence in the Australians...was sadly missing in us...we had in fact some major edge against them...we had the advantage of playing in home ground....a billion people rooting for our victory....the Australians were also under equal pressure to perform.....yet we bungled....we had a chance to challenge their might...and we lost it....like a silver lining we did see some brilliant performances from our men in blue...but that was not enough to smoke out the Aussies...

No use pondering over spilled milk...with the country rooting " ho hah

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India" lets hope that this would waken up our men in blue to the arduous task they have to do if they want to lift the world cup this time....coz.....we have it in us to do it....else one would have no choice than to wonder ho hah India???

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Life of what if’s

The word which I use annoyingly often.....a word which at times changed the course of my life....at every crossroads of decision making i was plagued with this word...what if I do it this way?...what if they feel bad?...what if I don't go there?...what if ....x…..y….. z.....no matter whatever the situation was....it's always been "what if".....

This "what if" has been a great help and a hindrance....there were times...when it saved my neck...and there were also times when it cost me a lot....some tricky situations in life need handling with care...."what if" has been both helpful and disastrous....I often think...do anyone else lay store so much in this word?

I remember well…. there was a time during my schooling...when I had a real big and nasty fight with a close friend...I was hurt and angry and was ready to go for her neck at the slightest chance...I was just an inch away from severing my ties with her....ready to weed her out of my life...and then when I was about to do it...this word sprang into my mind...what if it was my fault?.. After some very serious introspection. I realized that it was as much my fault as it had been hers...we were both equally faulty...I was in no way different from her....I made peace with her and now...she is still my very good friend who is always there for me whenever I need her...needless to say.. my "what if" saved me from losing such a wonderful person as a friend.... coming to think about it ...there was this incident during my engineering....I had a major disagreement with a few of my classmates regarding some plan....we had a heated argument and i left the place in a huff....after I cooled down I wanted to go back and clarify my position with them....and as usual...I was like...what if they can't understand?...what if they don't

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bother?....I never went back to speak out the issue. To clear out things... and needless to say. We never saw eye to eye again.....we never spoke with each other again....

In the meandering course of life, there have been times when...my what if....helped me to evolve as a better person...to understand people better.....to be more human......then...there have been times. when these words held me back...prevented me from taking that much needed step forward...from taking an occasional risk which could have worked out in my favor....from plunging head long into a challenging task....

No matter what my experiences are...no matter what my short comings are...I still find myself thinking..."what if?" whenever I find myself at the crossroads of decision making....even now I’m thinking...what if people read this article................

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Hyderabadi or Mumbaikar???

It's 7.15 in the morning and the morning sky still has the tinges of early dawn.....I’m now at the western edge, I realize......the day starts late. My bedroom window has the view of treetops., lots of apartments and the Western Ghats at the far edge.....the first rays of the golden morning are touching the world around me and as I watch the fiery ball emerges above the mountains.....I’m standing there at my window...spellbound by the magic....... All you need to do is to lower your vision ...and the reality of life hits you hard....there is a slum just outside the compound wall....life in the hardest terms....the activity milling around hectic.....I see loads of people already on their way to start another hectic day....oops......I forgot to mention the city I’m currently describing.....right now I’m at Mumbai--- the city which never

sleeps......

its been 20 days since I first arrived in Mumbai and its been a bittersweet experience so far....I’m now on my way in becoming a Mumbaikar from a Hyderabadi....life's become more hectic n fast paced.....I’m now in a situation where " no time to smell the roses" gives the correct picture.....r my happy-go-lucky days over??.....I’m still contemplating the same....now my typical day starts at 5 in the morning and ends around 11 in the night......my glorious sabbatical after college has come to end at last...... for a person who is very, very selected in making friends or sharing space.....I’m surprised...I’m already at home with all the new people around me.....I’m having a blast......did I change so much as a person???.....I honestly have no clue....life's definitely more different now...I’m more open to new ideas and willing to experiment......maybe this has to do with the new environ around me..... By the time I get back home and freshen up… Its usually 7.30 in the evening....the day still have the vestiges of twilight.....this explains my now usual late ending of the day....

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this transition is not easy...I do miss Hyderabad a lot… I miss all those endless hours of chatting with friends without a care in the world.....I miss those ungodly hours spent SMSing... I miss the delicacies prepared by mom.....the days spent reading my favorite novels curled up on my couch.... The days of bickering with my sister on very mundane things...the hours spent listening to old melodies....the occasional sharing of gossip amongst friends and cousins....the list is just endless...

On the other side.....this is my first touch of freedom.....of making my own decisions...of being the master of my world....of exploring the unknown.....of charting my own path.....I’m treading new territory....and whatever may be the outcome...I’ll be richer with experience none the less....my time to explore and learn has come...and I intend to make out the best from it......

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Ordeal of CAT 1

One fine day in my 3rd year I decided that I would do my pg in business management...it would be the portals of IIM through which I would pass and this time nothing is going to stop me from achieving it. I managed to convince a friend of mine to pursue the same path. After much deliberation about the institute for the coaching we decided that we would join TIME. It took us nearly 2 months before we could find time to go down to the institute and find out about the course.

After all the counseling and stuff, we decided to join the morning batch. We were supposed to have classes thrice a week. There was a catch in this marvelous plan of ours. We had to catch our college bus immediately after the class, which meant that we had no time to back to our places and as a result i had to be out of my place by 6'o'clock in the morning with my bag almost bursting with my so called CAT material and two lunch boxes and not to mention, my engineering books. I felt stoned the day I attended my 1st actual class (my 1st class was a surprise exam which I fared horribly). The day was hectic.

By the time I reached home at 6.30 in the evening I was ready to quit. It took me two weeks of time before I could adjust to this new timetable of mine. The classes were fun and I usually had a field day. My two hours of journey to the college seemed fun after I started my coaching. Me and my friend started solving the material on our way and were enjoying very bit of it. Before we realized we had the semester exams round the corner and it was time for our CAT preparation to take a back seat…

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Ordeal of CAT 2

If preparation for CAT was an ordeal in itself, attending mock tests was another hurdle... I pressed the panic button when I appeared for my very first mock test. I was just not ready for CAT. During the course of my preparation, I read all the material I could lay my hands on. I judiciously kept a track of my reading speed and the genre of the material read. I just crammed my brain with all the seemingly mundane details which I would have happily ignored otherwise. I was supposed to transform into “Miss Know It All" by the time I’m through with my preparation… It was almost a Herculean task to think logically and analytically all the time… It was just not my nature...I was in reality an impulsive person...

All my misgivings could not postpone CAT and before I knew it the D-day arrived. Thinking back I realize I was surprisingly quite cool on that day... I just attempted what I know and after checking out the key I was a tad disappointed that I could not clear the supposed cut-off mark in quant... There went my dream of getting into an IIM down the drain... by this time my last semester had started and I was busy with my final project... I was blissfully unaware of the fact that the results were announced, till a friend called up to enquire... I was glad that I managed to secure 90.69 percentile...

Now that the ordeal of CAT was finally behind me, I was waiting for the calls from the institutes that I applied... it was therefore a terrible shock when the first rejection came.. I was hurt, angry and terribly disappointed... it was a serious blow to my confidence.... it took me a while to get over it...

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then at last I got the much awaited call from TAPMI... my next stage of preparation began... If preparing for cat was tough in itself... I had to struggle in the next stage... the GD sessions were taxing... it was tough for me b'coz I prefer to listen than speak... I had a real tough time... also it took me some time to take the moderators comments in an impersonal way... the topics discussed were fun... in all actuality they actually expanded my horizons of thinking... I, for the first time had the experience of looking at a thing in different perspectives.... of meeting people with different personalities… it was an eye opener... I was ready at last to give my shot at the actual GD process at TAPMI...

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Ordeal of CAT 3

To say that the week preceding my interview, I had butterflies in my stomach, would be the understatement of the year. I could hardly sleep let alone eat. I was perplexed at this behavior coz I’m not the one to get flustered so easily. All in all the days flew by and before I realized, I was at Bangalore and gazing at building where I was supposed to give my interview. The watchman over there did little to ease my state of mind. What he said made me cringe. At that moment I was ready to be any where in the world than at Bangalore. Even the frigid reserves of Antarctica seemed welcoming to me.

The so called d-day had arrived at last. After checking out the venue, I returned to my room. I was visibly tensed and on the edge of my nerves. For me, enlightenment came a tad bit late. it was almost 10 in the night when I realized that every day passes on like the other before.... I know, I sound philosophical....but in the end that’s the way it is...after acquiring this so called “Gyan” I was at peace. I had a fitful sleep and was fresh by the time I woke up next morning. I never dressed as meticulously as I did on that day. I was trying hard to be the perfect package. All said and done I reached the venue early. The first thing which struck me when i reached the venue was the sophistication of the environ. It was a refreshing change from the too casual atmosphere of the college. After the initial round of some very formal introductions we were all waiting for the actual selection process to begin. We were informed that there would be 4 rounds of selection. i was placed in a batch of 12 members and was 3rd in my batch.

After being seated I was surprised to find the people on either side of me were the same ones with whom I attended my mock GD sessions. After reintroducing ourselves, we settled down. Our topic for discussion was

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“Foreign television channels are instrumental in the destruction of our ethical values and the means of curbing it". Effectively a person started with the supposedly high point in the given topic -ethical values. He was almost immediately cutoff by the others who wanted the discussion to start from foreign television channels. I could almost immediately recognize the people who were trained at TIME institute.....the methodology that was drilled into us was that very obvious. The discussion was concentrated more on ethical values vs. personal choice and due importance was not given to the curbing measures. After the GD we were asked to summarize it. Then we had an extempore round wherein each of us was required to speak for 3 min. my topic was "Amitabh Bachan is the legend of the film industry". My take on the topic was in favor of the topic. At the end of this round we had to break for lunch after which we had our individual interview rounds. My interview was a total fiasco. All in all I did fare well in it.

I never made it to the institution. i was given many reasons for it. But at the end of the day, it is one my most memorable experiences. My preparation for CAT expanded my horizons and taught me to respect the different perspectives of individuals. It taught me to think on my feet and helped me fine tune my logical and analytical skills.......it prepared me to take on the challenges in life and to learn from each and every experience... I’m a better person today....and all's well with my world...

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The Bumpy Ride Home

In one of the silent moments of contemplation, I tried to describe life in the 21st Century....and I could come up with just one definition...We live our lives in fast forward mode....In the race to excel. Only the fittest and fastest survive....Right from the moment go...we are in a hurry to excel...to be the best. And in this course nothing else matters...as long as success is ours to be claimed.....But is this all that is there in life?? or is there something else more?? Introspection, something which all of us do whenever we are at a crossroad of decision making...whenever we are entangled in confusions… when we are at the end of our reserves....when we are not sure about the course to take in life....It is during those silent moments of contemplation that waves of thoughts crash against the rocks of conscience and everything is much clearer...It was during one of these silent spells that I realized some very important things and that my life needed a change and a drastic one at that............ I realized that I was doing something because that was the most logical thing to do…not because I love to do it…On further introspection, I realized that all the things which I was doing and planning to do where the ones which were most logical to do and politically correct. It had nothing to do with my love to do them. I was obsessed by the necessity to blaze a trail on the path taken…never mind even if that path taken was taken sans any love....I realized that the parameters with which I measured my success. My happiness... was the ones decided by someone else. At some point of time someone said that to be successful one should have a double degree and a pedigree to boast about and I believed it to be true...Never once did a thought occur to explore another un-chartered coast......... My reflections revealed startling facts and I was thunderstruck.......

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I realized a tad bit late that happiness is not measured by the yard stick of success.....and success was not about achieving great and big things......It is about achieving something which you really love to do.....it is about finding that path and exploring it to the last and marveling the sights you come across as you move along that chosen path.....I realized that.....The first ray of golden sunlight...when the whole world is waking up.....the golden sunrise. The almost magical aura in the air at that time… are the ones which cheer me up.........The tiny flowers waving their colorful heads to the rhythm set by the breeze.....the birds chirping....the tall trees standing as mute witnesses to the passing time ....are the ones which keep me grounded to reality........The velvety night sky… with thousands of glittering diamonds strung across it....the silvery moonlight...serene and soothing...the gentle breeze caressing....are the ones which urge me to dream.....I realized that happiness is found even in the most mundane and ordinary things....and that it is these small things which add the much needed vitality to our lives........

The ride so far was definitely bumpy....and now that I realized that missing element in life....I'm at peace......Like the adage goes God is in heaven and all is well with his world.... I must say............my world too..........................................

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The Flavourz

Unpredictable… That’s life for you. You never know when is it that life decides to spring forth a surprise for you. In the meandering course, you don’t know what to expect from the next bend. Life’s indeed a puzzle with its pieces scattered about, giving us tantalizing clues, urging us to move on and search the pieces, to put hen together and complete the picture called life. It’s just an enormous zigzag puzzle, taking an eternity to complete. In one of the so called unpredictable twists of life, I rounded up a bend and found myself confronted with five different flavors, five highly contrasting personalities’ or rather five highly refined and talented people who were just about to spice up my life. This chapter is dedicated to them, for they in their own way helped me broaden my perspectives and horizons in life……

SD, the airy Aquarian…who doesn’t have a quiet bone in her body. Forever on the move and a constant buzz of activity, this lady is all about loud noise and unlimited gusto of energy. There is never a quite moment with her around. Stubborn more often than not, she has the uncanny ability of twisting people around her little finger to get things done. Living life KING SIZE is her mantra and trust me, she can bring loads of laughter and fun to your life. Tough on the exterior but in reality very sensitive and caring. The depth of her emotions can overwhelm you at times. But then, she is a tigress who is just all roars and no bite. A foodie to the core and has a wide variety of tastes. I can go about endlessly about her, but then there are four more flavors to be explored.

NT, the fiery Sagittarian. The most contemplative of all. A typical hard core Sagittarian. A blend of all flavors she has something in common with all of us. Her rendition of Telugu is typical and has us in splits of laughter most of the times. A partner in mischief to SD. Together they bring the

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house down. An ardent fan of MTV, music is what she adores. She is the one, who when sad or angry, retreats into her own shell and it’s almost impossible to reach her then. In her cranky moods, she prefers solitude. Prefers to do things in her own way and is a master of her own world. TS, the balanced and dutiful Libran. “Meticulous”, that’s the word to describe her. Whatever she does, be it any mundane task, she does it meticulously and takes care even of the tiniest detail. An excellent chef, she is the one who struggles to satisfy our varied eating preferences. A level headed person, she provides the much needed balance to manage the household affairs. Follows her heart in what she thinks is right and a person ready with a smile. “Blushes become a woman” holds true to this exotic beauty. We usually have a blast pulling her leg and watch her blush….and mind you….she too enjoys every moment of it..

SE, the sweet and lovely Scorpion. The quietest of all. But then looks can be deceiving and she is the classic example. The silent observer and the one true to her nature, with a sting. Her witty one-liners based on silent observation leave you gasping for breath. Imagination is her forte, and is quick to visualize almost everything you share with her. With an endearing smile, she can sure pull the strings of your heart and you are mesmerized by her. She is someone with whom I find many similarities owing to my own scorpion affliction. A natural listener, you end up confessing your fears and hopes when you are with her. Life is indeed a beautiful art with her around.

And that leaves CS. The youngest of all and a dynamite of energy. The baby of the group. “Surprises” is what she is all about and she springs them on you, when least expected. The restless kid in her has her hovering about you, driving you crazy with her unlimited energy. This little dynamo was the first to bag a project and is now all set to make a mark in it. Her signature style of color-coordinating everything she wears, or ‘matching’ as she puts it, keeps us entertained even on a gloomy day. She takes

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everything thrown in her way in her stride and is never the one to sulk around. Now honing her culinary skills under our esteemed tutelage, she is all set to become the next Tarla Dalal (I know this was a PJ).

These are the five flavors with whom I now spend my time. Life till date with them has been at times sweet, sour, spicy and then PERFECT…

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