Third May 2009, my dream did come true, I did cut my cake as a Miss India – the icing on the cake was mom was right beside me. Yes!! All thanks to ToI, early noon on my birthday, I sat in my pyjamas, replying to all my mails – mom enters my room and my jaw drops! Literally! Cos I knew one thing for sure – cos as much as mom wants to be with me, she really wouldn’t spend all the way Pune to Delhi, cos according to her, a penny saved is a penny earned. But when I saw her, I was wondering if I was hallucinating! My expression was quite familiar similar to the one on the the 5^th of April, 2009 – the day I won the crown! It’s only later that I realised that it wasn’t mom but ToI who felt that the presence of my mom would be the best gift they could ever give me. I so agree with them!!!
We sat chatting for hours after that – so much to catch up on! Topics didn’t seem to end at all. I was so happy! Time flew and from noon it was evening – time to leave for the Times Food Awards. Had no clue what it would be like – had heard a lot about it – but had never been a part of it. For the first time ever I experienced what it felt like to give away an award – to be a part of someone else’s moment of glory! Wow! Too many good things happening at the moment. I think I must carry a piece of wood around with me all the time now. Don’t even want to open my eyes because I feel it all is a dream. For me a moment of pride was when the most reputed people of Delhi came up to mom and exclaimed what an inspiration she has been. A number of people came up to her with tears in their eyes - because either they themselves or someone they knew had been through the same thing – and they were so happy that mum’s a winner. I swear even mom was teary eyed once or twice during the evening. And imagine being surrounded by the best of the best food in Delhi – award winning food I might add – Korean, Italian, Continental, Chinese, pastries and even coffees – thank God it was my birthday and I was allowed to indulge! God really is great!!!
Left at 2 am, but was still up chatting with mom till 5 am, and had to wake up early to catch the 8 am flight back to the city that never sleeps – I think I’m going to fit right in!