Preeti Shenoy's Blog, page 85

Rapunzel for a bit. Blog marathon post 28

The other day I was in Chennai for my book launch. (Click here to see some photos of the event). 

We stayed
at a really nice hotel and my family was with me. My children were in adjoining
room.(We had inter connecting room)




Early in the morning, I woke up before everyone else. It was
magical to see both my children fast asleep. There is something about sleeping
children that transforms mothers’ hearts into quivering jellies. I stood and
stared for long filled with an indescribable tenderness.  It took me back to their childhood when they
were babies.  After a while, I crawled
into the bed with my daughter and dived under the luxurious duvet, cuddled her
and before I realised I was fast asleep.




My daughter woke me up after a while with great urgency. She
was all chuckles, smiling widely, her eyes glowing with excitement.




‘Mama when did you come into my bed?’ she demanded to know.




‘Early in the morning baby,’ I answered, still rubbing the
sleep out of my eyes.




‘Oh mama—you know what happened? I thought my hair had grown
over night!’ she exclaimed and laughed.  (One of the things my daughter really
admires about me is my hair and she longs for hair like mine.  Where as I love her naturally straight silky
hair.)




She hadn’t seen me in her bed (as I was buried under the
quilt) and when she woke up she only saw my hair spread out next to her. She
had presumed it was her hair and she was so puzzled to see such long hair next
to her face and wondered how her hair could have grown overnight.




I laughed heartily for a while.




It was a nice start to the day.

___________________________________________________________________




 


If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here


 And you can interact with me on my FB page. I always reply :)















http://preetishenoy.com/

Chase your dreams! Blog marathon post 27

Caine's Arcade from Nirvan Mullick on Vimeo.





The above video is a short ten minute film about a little boy who is following his dream that I came across recently.
It is definitely a must-watch. Do take ten minutes out and watch it.



If you have little kids, please watch with them if they are old enough to understand.



 Guess the amount that has been raised at the time of publishing this post?

A whopping  1,72,609.070 Dollars !!



Isn't the power of Internet amazing?

But what is more amazing about the boy is he never ever gave up his dreams! I think we all have a big lesson to learn here from that little boy. Do check out the site here:     http://cainesarcade.com/



In another happening today,  one of the comments I got on my Facebook page (from a reader called Jaimin Udhnawala) said

 "Dear preeti, (tea for two & piece of cake) captivating story an underdog soul who carve out her way amidst all odds, loved it thoroughly cos somewhere it connected unswervingly with my own self as I always felt similar in my early years…."



The comment really resonated with me as it is indeed a story of an under-dog too apart from being a very unusual love story. It is also about following your heart and chasing your dreams, and not letting life's obstacles bog you down.



 In the book, Nisha (the protagonist) and Akash drive down to Pondicherry on the ECR (East coast road) from Chennai. I have driven down this road several times and I have described it in the book with a lot of love :)

It has been named among top ten of the most enjoyable drives in India. It is indeed extremely picturesque and I remember reading an article in one of the reputed travel mags, about it being one of the most scenic roads.



 Here is a beautiful song from a Tamil movie which somehwat captures the beauty of this drive. Watch this video (even if you do not know Tamil at all) to see some of the magic described in the book. Also the couple in this video (Jyothika and Surya) seem to be so much in love!



 I love this song! :)










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Watch  and tell me if you liked it too!

 ____________________________________________________________________




If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here

 And you can interact with me on my FB page. I always reply :)










____




http://preetishenoy.com/

On dogs --Pure love on four legs Blog marathon post 26

 After Satish's really humorous guest post written yesterday (scroll down to read it) , I must add a few things he missed out.




1. You really learn to live live to the FULLEST by observing a dog.No matter what happens, dogs just get on with life. 




2.They don't mope. They don't ask 'why me'. They don't sulk. They don't hold grudges. A dog really embodifies the statement 'Life is short. LIVE it.'




3. The sheer enthusiasm with which a dog greets the owner (they act as if they havent seen you in twenty years, even if you  have gone to the neighbourhood store to fetch something and you took just fifteen minutes) is amazing and has to be seen and experienced to be beilieved.




4. So many articles have emphasised the health benefits of having a dog. (Studies have shown that it outstrips the benefits of having a cat)




5. Having a dog teaches you so much--responsibility, caring for another living thing, compassion, love, devotion.




6. Most of all it teaches you discipline and makes you exercise. (and people spend thousands of rupees on treadmills and gym memberships! Heh heh)


If you haven't read or heard of Hachiko's story, you must.



There are so many other similar cases ,especially a dog named Bobby who spent every day of his fourteen years at his master's grave until he died.





Sometime back I had  posted a piece

'Just a dog' written by Richard Biby. In case you haven't read that post here  is what the words said.:






Just a Dog

From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a dog,"
or, "that's a lot of money for just a dog." They don't understand
the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for
"just a dog." 


 


Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a dog." Many
hours have passed and my only company was "just a dog," but I did
not once feel slighted. 

 


Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a dog,"
and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a dog"
gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.


If you, too, think it's "just a dog," then you will probably
understand phases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a
promise." "Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence of
friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy. "Just a dog" brings out
the compassion and patience that make me a better person. 

 


Because of "just a dog" I will rise early, take long walks and look
longingly to the future. So for me and folks like me, it's not
"just a dog" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the
future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the
moment. 

 

"Just a dog" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.   

 


I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a dog"
but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a
human." 

 

So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog." just smile, because they "just don't understand."



 




Authored by Richard A. Biby

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Sometime back I had received a sms forward which made me smile.

It said " Lock up your wife and your dog in a room. Open the door after a few hours. Guess who will be happy to see you."





Having a dog, really changes you as a person.

When many people tell me they are scared of dogs, I wonder why! I fail to understand. How can people be frightened of dogs?!  (Apologies if you are among the people who are scared of dogs. Kindly ignore this post from an ardent dog-lover)



A dog is nothing but pure love on four legs. And as for those humans who abandon their pets, I don't even have words for them.





If you are really keen on adopting a dog there are puppy adoption camps like this one which just took place:











Having a dog is real hard work.

But it is really, totally and completely worth it.

Trust me, I know!



If you are seriously considering getting a dog, do read this  article first which asks 'Are you ready for a dog'.

_________________________________________________________________


If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here

 And you can interact with me on my FB page. I always reply :)















http://preetishenoy.com/

Living with a doberman. Guest post by Satish. Blog marathon post 25

                                                   Living with a Doberman



            Guest Post by Satish Shenoy  










The kids had settled down well in the UK and loved the place. I
guess not having to learn Hindi, Sanskrit nor having any homework to do, helped
a lot in the process. When we moved back from the UK to India there were a
number of groans and moans. We had to throw in a carrot to offset the huge
level of pressure that they would go through, settling back in to the Indian
educational system.




Preeti always loved animals and my son takes after Preeti in this regard.
As a child I too was fond of dogs until my brother was badly bitten by two Pomeranians.
 I have been wary of dogs ever since.




 However, with an extra-large
heart and without realizing what I was getting in to, I bravely volunteered to
get a dog for the kids when we got back to India. I think I was partly clouded by
what I had seen in the UK. When people take their dogs for walks in the UK,
there is no leash. The dog walks calmly next to their owners (even the frisky
puppies). There is no running around or pulling. It’s amazing. My theory is
that even the dogs are affected by the cold weather there and become docile.




The kids loved the idea and promised to study hard. Preeti was
thrilled but asked me a number of times if I was sure. She said it was like
having another child and asked if I realised the work involved? With a wave of
my hand, I dismissed her concerns and told her I was fine. We should go ahead
and get a dog. I went to the extent of telling her that I would even help her
by taking the dog out for walks.




Most management schools teach you to be close to the problem as well
as the decision making. Guess I was too busy at that time or had slept off when
that particular aspect was being taught. I delegated the decision making to
Preeti and my son without realizing the consequences. Guess what they chose and
got? A Doberman.  


Lostris in 'Guard' mode.








The first couple of days were ok. Lostris was a puppy. She remained
in a large empty carton (we cut off the top and put in some blankets and she
was cozy) we had got for her till we bought her a big crate.  She was tiny and could not come out of the carton.
She started to teeth and nipped everything in sight her favourite toy being my
formal trousers, our wooden furniture and anything else in attacking distance
of her. She then started slowly escaping from the box. At that time, we lived
in a duplex  penthouse and we put a grill
at the top of the staircase since we did not want her to fall down the stairs.
She would remain on top and whenever I came back from office she would run
around my legs.




 Lostris was always the early
bird and would whine top of her voice early in the morning until my sleep was
disturbed and I got out of bed and took her to the garden, for her morning
job.  She is jet black in colour and one
day when someone came home she barked this really scary bark all of a sudden
and charged at the person. We caught her just in time and prevented a heart
attack. Her bark can chill your blood. Preeti insisted the new baby sleep in
our room on the floor. Every time I walked in she would make a beeline for me
and nip. If someone rang the bell in the morning and I got out of bed I
carefully checked to see if she was asleep before creeping out, or else the
task of opening the door went to Preeti. 
She could not jump up on the bed so at times I would sneak in to the
bedroom and charge and climb on top of the bed. All she could do was come down
my side and try and get up. I would gleefully look down and felt I had won the
battle. I did win those battles but did not realise I had lost the war. 





Lostris in one of her 'Am-i-not-cute' moments








Preeti bought me the book Marley and me which I read at one shot and
found so many common things between Lostris and Marley. It was amazing but a
bit late in the day. We already had the Indian version of a bigger Marley with
us.  I don’t know how or when but
suddenly she became huge. It felt like it happened over night. One jump and she
could cross our 6X6 bed, so I was no longer the king of my palace (read bed).
She seemed to be exacting her revenge on me for the days when I would gloat at
her from on top of the bed.  Every time I
went out for even two seconds, she would make a bee line for my side of the bed
and start to sleep there (never Preeti’s side of the bed mind you). Every
morning she would, at what seemed like midnight to me, create a ruckus till my
sleep completely went (Sundays and holidays included). And once she was done
with her job she would go and sleep peacefully. I would close my door so that
she could not enter. But this is no ordinary dog. It’s a Doberman so what does
she do? She stands on her hind legs and with her front legs opens the door. I kid
you not. A friend who did not believe this and did not lock the door, nearly
croaked it in fright, when Lostris opened the door herself and bounded it in to
the room.




Every day when I take Lostris for a walk I meet at least 15 dog
owners. Not one of them pulls or barks or acts naughty in any way. Lostris of
course ensures I exercise well by developing my muscles especially my arms (I
have to hold on to her with all my strength to prevent being yanked off my
feet). She tries to eat every old rotten banana on the road and once she has it
in her mouth, she gives me this look (what you going to do kind of look). The
rotten banana is always tastier than all the fresh nice ones we buy every day (and
we buy them since she likes them so much).




And the coup-de grace is of course when I wear my Nike shorts. They
are stylishly cut and a little short in length. If ever Lostris sees me
standing on the balcony in my shorts then she adopts the Nike line “Just do
it”. She comes and puts her nose right up my shorts and that startles the life
out of me. And if I am sitting cosily on a beanbag watching a cricket match she
has to come and bark at me, plonk herself on top of me on the beanbag or stand
in such a way that I miss the match. At times when I twist to see a ball the
remote button gets pressed changing the channel. Another favorite pastime of
hers is taking my clothes and running around. It’s impossible to catch her
since she is so fast. So the best you can do is ignore it and hope and pray
that she does not tear them since she has sharp teeth. Of course it makes you
even more tidier since you learn to put away things and lock your cupboard.    




Lostris has her set of friends. There are the garden lizards,
squirrels, frogs and one particular milkman on a Luna. Every time without fail
when she is let out in to the garden her first act is to stand on two legs and
bark at the lizards and squirrels. At night she has to chase and hassle froggie
or else both won’t get a sound night’s sleep. In the morning she will run like
someone possessed faster than Malinga’s Yorkers from one gate to the other
barking angrily at the milk guy.




 Our lives have changed after
we got the dog. My son  does not want to
leave her and come on a holiday anywhere because of Lostris even if she is put
up in good dog boarding place. Every time we go out Preeti keeps looking at the
watch since she wants to get back home and be with Lostris. Even my daughter is now very
fond of Lostris and keeps petting her and in fact gives her more attention than
me. Can you beat that?




All of it sometimes make me wish that I could turn the clock back
and be able to take the decision of importing one of those docile dogs from the
UK who would lie down near my feet and watch cricket with me or maybe not have
a dog at all. But when I see the joy on the children’s and Preeti’s face when
Lostris comes in I realise that it is worth it and the sacrifice I am making is
quite small.




In fact Lostris is also  very fond
of me and though I don’t tell the others I too have grown fond of her. Yes we
will have our share of bullying each other but end of the day if you had to
live life I guess live it like a King rather than a pauper. Similarly if you
had to have a dog (and I would hasten to add think a million times before you
jump in to it) then get a Doberman and not any other breed.   




 ___________________________________________________________________________

 

 ps: If you  have read Preeti's third book 'tea for two and a piece of cake'

(which is incidentally on all the best-seller lists) you will know how much Lostris means to her,  when you look at the acknowledgements section.



http://preetishenoy.com/

Two movies and 'love' .Blog marathon post 24

Recently I watched two very different movies, both at the same Multiplex. I had watched the Tamil movie '3' (the movie which has the epic song Kolaveri di) and today I watched the new 'Titanic' in 3D.(Which is breaking all records at the box office)



I did like both movies, although Titanic in 3D  of course, completely swept me away. James Cameroon has done a splendid job indeed. I was so engrossed in it, I am still under the spell. If you by any chance are one of the few who haven't seen Titanic, go watch! Even if you have seen it, the 3D version is still something else!



In the Tamil movie '3,' they refer to the disorder as Bipolar disorder, but the symptoms they depict are completely different. I know, because I now consider myself somewhat of an authority on Bipolar disorder (as my second book completely deals with it and I have researched it thoroughly). The term they should have used is 'Schizo-affective disorder' (again very different from Schizophrenia). But apart from this, the movie did manage to hold my attention. Even the juvenile love scenes made me smile (more so as I spent a few years of my adolescence in Chennai and could very well relate to all the typical  happenings in school during that time) . I was amazed at how Dhanush really looked like a  17 year old in the early bits. I totally appreciated Shruti Hassan's acting prowess too.





In both the movies, the women take such strong actions which completely change their lives for the man they love. In both movies, the women are so sure of what they want. They TRUST the guy completely . I do think trust is an important element in any kind of love. Both movies have depicted the trust, the passion and the desperation of lovers really well. If you have ever been in love (and who hasn't?) , you will so relate to the very powerful emotions. both portray.







The common thread in both these movies is ' romantic love'. I find
the subject fascinating. It is amazing how thousands of poets have
written about it, thousands of artists have painted their love-objects
and even after so many centuries, 'love' is still not outdated and
lovers still fascinate us. (Thank Lord!)



I leave you with one of my favorite love poems by Pablo Neruda.









Love Sonnet XVII
I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you with knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.
 
_____________________________________________________
 





If you have any favourite love poems, do share. I would love to read.
I am a die-hard romantic and yes, I  still believe in love.



 ______________________________________________________________________






If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here

 And you can interact with me on my FB page. I always reply :)













http://preetishenoy.com/

A card giveaway. Blog marathon post 23

 These are a few more cards I made  this week. Like I mentioned, I find it to be a fantastic activity to de-stress. Judging by the number of cards I am making, you can imagine how stressed I must be!



 You can see my whole collection of cards here .  Many of them are sold.



Most handmade cards sell for anywhere between Rs.100/- and Rs.250/- depending on the amount of work involved.Check out some  handmade cards  made by some talented people here




I feel happy that finally the worth of these hand-made products is being appreciated and the artists are getting the price they deserve.









 As a thank you to my blog-readers I am giving away the cards I made. They are blank inside (so you can write all that you have to say)  and they all come with envelopes. On the back it says ' handmade by Preeti Shenoy'. :) (I designed them myself--I ought to get full credit, no? :))



The first two cards will be given to one person and the second two to another person.



What do you have to do to win these cards?



Just leave me a comment! That's all!

Choose a number between 1 and 100 when you leave a comment. I shall use the random number generator to pick two people  each of who will get two cards each. The cards will be mailed in a hard cover envelope and will reach you in mint condition :) Please scroll up the comment box and choose a number which someone else hasnt already chosen. In case there is a clash, I will just pick a winner by draw of lots.













 I liked this design a lot. I made it with really thin quilling strips and I wanted to use colours that stood out. I had no idea what I was making when I started quilling the deep red strips. This is what I ended up with. Nice? :) Do you like?



















 I felt happy with this too. The orange roses contrast so starkly with the deep green paper. The white butterfly with a detail of beads completes the picture. It radiates serenity--don't you agree?
























This is a long card
with textured paper. I wanted to use three different coloured paper
quilled roses. I think they have combined well, isn't it?







Wanted to experiment with a  different shape for flowers. So made these multi coloured ones. I quite like how they turned out. And yes I liked the butterfly too. :)

They stand out well against the grey paper which I have used as a back-ground.





You can be sure of one thing. When you send a hand-made card to someone, it will be a long long time before the card ends up in the dust-bin ;-)  They are made with such care, after all, and sent with a lot of love  too :)



So if you want them, go ahead, pick a number and leave me a comment.



Shall declare who won the cards on the last day of this 30 day blog marathon. (today is day 23).



Good luck! :)  [I am so nice to my readers, am I not? :) But then, how can I not be! You guys shower me with so much love! ]

______________________________________________________________________






If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here



 And you can interact with me on my FB page. I always reply :)









http://preetishenoy.com/

Make happy memories. Blog marathon post 22

 The online link to the above is : http://www.thehindu.com/arts/books/article3300189.ece







 






IBN also had  said something really nice about me. Read the article here.




'Tea for two and a piece of cake' is on all the best-seller lists currently. I am happy it has got such a wonderful response.




However, today more than anything else, I miss my father. 


People say stuff like "time heals" and "he is watching you from above" and such things.

They lie.

Time does not heal. 

And 'watching from above' brings no comfort really.

 




It is now been five years, seven months and six days.




It still hurts like hell. 

Every victory is bitter-sweet.

Every happy occasion is tinged with sadness.

Each time I achieve something, I call my mum up and we remember him and wish and wish and wish he was around. Sometimes we cry together.

 

Every little memory with him is guarded jealously, cherished and re-lived a million times over.




Every single thing he said, I remember.




Whatever I am today is just because of him.

I know he would have been really proud of me, had he been around.




If  I had to give anything today, anything, just to be with him for five minutes, I would have.




But I can't.

And so I blog.

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ps:

 If you are fortunate to have both your parents, please call them today.

Or better still, go and see them.

And make happy memories.

In the future that is all what will see you through.

Take it from someone who knows.



http://preetishenoy.com/

Tiesto, Deadmau5 and connecting over music :) Blog marathon post 21

Today I had a really interesting conversation on my Blackberry messenger. Let me copy paste a part of it it here.

I am only changing the name of the person I conversed with and naming him TS. (He  does not mind me sharing this conversation. I checked with him before posting it here)



He had asked me to listen to  Tiesto maximal crazy--something which I had never heard before. Even the name was new. If you haven't heard it too, here is the  video:






















Preeti Shenoy: U in the car?

TS: Ya

Preeti Shenoy: Ok

TS: Liked tiesto?

Preeti Shenoy: Ya baby!!!

TS: He is awesome, one of
the worlds best DJ

TS: Genre; trance and house
and stuff

Preeti Shenoy: Its lovely. I like!!

Preeti Shenoy: We need to
put on giant speakers

TS: I know. B-)

TS: Init?

Preeti Shenoy: And sit there
and shake our heads

Preeti Shenoy: B-)

TS: Like a boss

Preeti Shenoy: :)

TS: Wuu2

Preeti Shenoy: U should also
listen to deadmau5

TS: I know deadmau

TS:  and  I
need to de-stress. My head hurts.

Preeti Shenoy: Which one do
u like of deadmau

TS: He. Is. A. Dj. He has no albums does he?

Preeti Shenoy: Strobe

Preeti Shenoy: Sometimes
things

Preeti Shenoy: Raise ur
weapon

Preeti Shenoy: Faxing berlin

TS: Is that an album?

Preeti Shenoy: B-)

Preeti Shenoy: Songs

TS: What is it?

Preeti Shenoy: Ghosts n
stuff

Preeti Shenoy: All these are
his music

TS: Ya, Rob swire is in it.
B-)

Preeti Shenoy: (y) right
on!!

Preeti Shenoy: *takes a bow*

Preeti Shenoy: :)

TS: I like ghosts and stuff.
Have you heard skrillex?

Preeti Shenoy: Nopes

TS: And I could tell you the
albums and songs with the help of my friend Internet  ;-)

:-)

Preeti Shenoy: Hahahahaha'



************************************************************



 Can you guess who TS is? :)

He is my Teenage Son! :) 



He does drive me crazy at times , but today was one of the awesome days when we connected over music.



Ah, the indescribable experience of being a mother to a teenager! :)

Today, I am  definitely loving it :)

__________________________________________________________________





If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here




 And you can interact with me on my FB page. I almost always reply :)

http://preetishenoy.com/

Wordless wednesday no. 29. Blog marathon post 20.

It's Wordless Wednesday again.






 






















 







 


_________________________________________________________________________






If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here



 And you can interact with me on my FB page. I almost always reply :)








http://preetishenoy.com/

Love sure is a funny thing. Blog marathon post 19.

Love, sure, is a
funny thing.




I was 22 when I threw away my job in Mumbai and shifted to
Gwalior to marry the man I loved without any second thoughts.  I had no idea then, what the long term haul
involved.

The in-between years, when my identity involved just being a
wife and a mother were the hardest.  My
husband's job involved constant travel as well as moving from place to place,
every three years on an average. I, by default became the 24x7, on-call parent.
It was hard to put up a smiling face when all I felt like doing at times, was
giving it up and running away. I was tired of being the string that held
everything together.




But the long years I put into making this relationship work,
taught me so much. 




 I learnt that you can
hold on long after you think you have no strength left. And that sometimes you
have to let go and sometimes doing nothing is really the best. It taught me
kindness, patience, humility. It taught me that even the best laid plans can go
terribly wrong. It taught me to put others before myself, yet carve out a space
for me. I learnt that sometimes a little neglect is healthy and too much care
stifles. It taught me that not every question has answers and some things are
always best left unsaid.




But most importantly it taught me that if there is love, everything
else can be worked out.




Love sure is a funny thing, but it makes it all worth it.

___________________________________________________________________





If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here


 And you can interact with me on my FB page. I almost always reply :)









http://preetishenoy.com/