Shilpi...the most important person in my family!
My sister is a gem of a person! I have never been more impressed by any girl in my entire life as I have been with her! (No offence meant there Debu!). Oct 4th is a blessed day as we celebrate it as her birthday every year...Even though the youngest among us, she is the one who takes the important decisions in the house (of course after my parents) and we all consult her of every big or small thing. Very outgoing and smart, she has a loving nature and a keen eye for quality. She knows a person inside outside by the time we are trying to get their name right in our minds.
She had her education till std X in SDA High school and was two years junior to me in the school. I still remember how we use to have our lunch together and how I use to be do favours to her when I was the school prefect! She joined Navyug Radiance college for her std XI and XII and that's where she made her close friends. She did her graduation from Isabella Thoburn college in Lucknow and finished her studies last year as a topper of M.Sc in Mass Communication from Lucknow University. She is presently working as the Editor with AAD International, a production house based out of Lucknow. She also doubles as a free lance journalist and writes features regularly for various leading newspapers in Lucknow. I always believed that I write the best in our family but now I know better! A number of her articles have appeared in TOI, The Pioneer and Hindustan Times.
There are so many incidents that will go without anyone realizing her colossal effort and input. Two such events that are fresh in my memory are Pankaj's wedding and buying of our family house. With all three of us brothers tied up with job obligations and located out of Lucknow, complete arrangements and management of the wedding came on her tender shoulders! and did she manage it well! she handled the whole ceremony, which runs for more than a week, with the adroitness of a professional! Everyone returned with happy memories of the event! Immediately after the marriage, it became clear that the house that we were putting in, is no longer convenient with a new member in the family. Buying of the family house was due anyways for sometime and she immediately got down to the task of finding our dream house. It was months of rigorous labour and a number of deals that came close, before we got the house that we were looking for. All credit to her, we now own a big, beautiful house. Next, on the list for her was managing Neeraj's and my marriage ceremonies - again, she was at her best with event management and ensured the the two ceremonies were carried out in the most wonderful fashion. Kudos to her!