Date:- 15th September, 2013Place:- Jiwaji Club, GwaliorOccasion:- Being a part of the Judgement panel of JC's Mrs. Gwalior 2013
Year 1998 I was just 19 years old, was studying @ KRG college. We had a group of 7 friends..... and I can say they were the best friends I ever had....... they were my strength,my weakness,my inspiration & my competition......We all very proudly named our group as VIBGYOR..... each color represented either one of us...... I was the color green for my friends Sheeba, Shweta, Suchairita, Bhavna, Poonam & Seema thought I had a little bit of chilli in my personality.....
Well today's event reminded me of one of my favorite memories of college time..... winning the crown of Ms. KRG...... It was nothing less than winning Ms. Universe itself back then..... I still remember the days when I practiced for catwalk watching DoorDarshan the only available TV channel those days...... I also remember tipping on my own clothes and falling flat on my face several time...... I remember bruised knees and hands...... Hours of standing in front of the mirror and practicing to answer the final question.... I still remember that moment exactly as if it all happened yesterday.....
As I stood there on the stage with thousands of eyes looking at us intently.... Feeling nervous and cold in feet....the question thrown to me was "what is most beautiful about you?"..... I drew a deeeeeeeeeep breath and smiled as if I knew the answer from the bones..... I said " The most beautiful thing about me is my never shaking confidence in myself"......
Then there was a hawwwwwwwwwwwwww moment....... For months I have thought and anticipated how will I react if my name was to be announced as a winner..... Most of the beauty pageant I had seen the winner always gave that big HAWWWWWWWWWWWWW wide eyed amazed expression and that was too cliche.... I did not want to have that expression on my face when I was announced as a winner...... But as we all stood on the stage anticipating who have stolen the crown.... our teacher announced my name as Ms. KRG and next thing I remember feeling was happy shock and I gave the HAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW expression & I guess I did not look amazed I looked flabbergasted.....
I really did win.... I was asked to say something to the people present there but as it happens I was that happy I could not say a word..... I could feel my eyes go moist with overflow of emotions...... and when they crowned me the first thought that came to my head was the biggest sacrifice to win the contest was justified.... I actually got my waist length hair shortened to shoulder length because I thought it will look better when I will wear the crown.......
Today when I sat on judgement table to judge Mrs. Gwalior 2013 cparticipants....... All those memories came running back to me....But today when I look at all the beautiful mothers, wives... I feel entranced I can see that competitive spirit that fire in them and I felt puffed with proud for being a woman... It was a true honor to walk on the other side of the grass only being too well aware that times have moved forward and we all have much more of freedom of following our dreams and flying as high as we want to......
For
" We should not be afraid of flying. We should be afraid of not flying."
Some stills from the moments relived are attached below:
