Meet this green-thumbed Miss Manners

Here’s a woman with impeccable language, a colourful wardrobe, quirky accessories and a tinkling laugh. She’s a perfect picture of poise and feminine grace. Her sweet smile is further defined by the different shades of lipsticks painted on. An aunt’s gift of a shocking pink tube in her three-year old hand led to a lifelong love for lipsticks. She’s guilty of being a lipstick collector with an exclusive collection to match her every mood.

That tube of lipstick was the only element of feminine charm her mother allowed her to keep. Her mother was a fierce-willed woman who chose to grow her third daughter as a strong, academically inclined child. There weren’t any extra-curricular activities and her toys were the tools in the kitchen while watching her mother work. She laughs as she says, “I think my mom was trying to get me through life while also getting life through me.” Her training for a poker face began young. Her mother constantly reminded her that the world wasn’t a place for the naïve and gullible. Now, she keeps her manners, a poker face and big secrets with the same aplomb.

Her mom took her role very seriously and that intensity wasn’t lost on this little girl. She learned to be quiet, follow rules and never upset anyone to the extent that she toned down the extraordinary to just ordinary. She confesses that she’s inherited her mom’s nagging instead of her impeccable sense of order. Over the years, the two women have come to share an interesting friendship. Her love for plants is a gift of the green thumb from her grandfather. When asked to choose her favourite, she picks the hibiscus for its vibrant colour and the use of its leaves in her home-made shampoo.

At 16, her father moved to Singapore for work. Her college life was her four years exclusively with her mother. On the first day of college, she met her best friend. Just the thought of that friend makes her body relax and an open smile escapes her poker face. College is where she found her identity. Through her 5 years of graduation and post-graduation in English Literature, she befriended an unexpected assortment of unorthodox friends. Even after 13 years, the principal speaks highly of her for being one of those studious, passionate and never naughty ones.

Her father’s job made him travel more than he wanted. As often as he saw her, he reminded her that she had no restrictions and he would always be her champion. At 22, between her mother who stressed on academics and the father who gave her the freedom of choice, she decided to do a doctorate and began applying. Serendipity gave her a doctoral admit in Singapore and brought the family together again. Her unique specialization on South African women playwrights is a point of much curiosity. The PhD is also when her life went into a pause again, play again mode. She was in the United States for a while. This is where she perfected the art of making delightful South Indian dishes out of a tiny kitchen. While her all-time favourite is potatoes, she likes her rasam rice and crispy okras on a rough day. Six years went by and she chose to submit her thesis on August 15^th, representing her freedom from the doctorate too.

After her education phase, she started a career at Cambridge as a marketing consultant. While creating engaging content, she also bonded with extraordinary people who taught her the power of good leadership and the strengths of networking.

As a child, the walls of her house were a clear indication of her true calling - a teacher. As a child, she loved scribbling her lessons on the ‘board’. Today, this teacher can be found with western classical music in her ears while creating learning and testing content for an online audience of over 300,000 people across India. She works with a team of equally passionate content specialists who combine their love for language and teaching. Around her, you’re sure to add some quality words to your vocabulary. For, even her words of admonishment are a thing of joy!

She is a perfectionist who will sacrifice her whole existence to get it right. But, she knows when she’s done. For, she’s the kind of woman who’ll find the courage to walk away from something to which she’s given her all. She’s great at breakdowns but is also great at looking at mornings and allowing hope to permeate her being with a belief that something will change. No wonder that she describes herself as a work-in progress. Here’s the kind of woman that made Billy Joel sing she’s always a woman to me.

She’s on a journey of self-discovery and this past year has been about travelling and trusting her inner circle more. She has been able to find more pieces of herself from her blind spot. She’s an example of a life that seems ordinary from the outside, but the inner journey of discovery, extraordinary.