Conversational Abilities

 Some people have the ability to speak about any subject, for unlimited amounts of time. Think politicians.. no, just kidding, I am not into those. Just normal people. 

My own conversational abilities depend on the other person I am in conversation with. Usually, I like small numbers of people, not a very large group to converse with. And probably one or two others is best, Maybe three. 

I have had meetings with ex-colleagues- ones, twos most of the time. Students, usually former students- again, I have met them individually or in a small group. And had a lot to talk about, and listen to. Some of them I met for the first time outside class, and found them to be great conversationalists. Empathetic, knowledgeable and generally, agreeable personalities I would like to meet again. Anam Nuhi was one such, at Indore.

I can recall quite a few that I have had fun times talking with- more recently, Harshad, Meghana at Pune- earlier, Divya Singh at Pune and Mumbai, Nikita Kumar at Pune first, Hyderabad later, and then at Gurgaon with Shruti and Aditya, Tosha Dubey at Mumbai, Abha with her and Sirisha, Anuj too in Mumbai, and recently at Delhi, Sunil Kataria and Sharmishtha at Delhi, Surbhi Mehta and hubby at Delhi, Vrinda Khanna at her place (Delhi), Pallavi and hubby in Bangalore, and with Shafique (I had my first Sangria there), Pragya Singh (Kahwa?) at Pune, Anupriya Pandit at IIMI and at Bangalore, Dheeraj at Chennai, Meghna Sinha in Delhi and Mumbai (BKC). Meghana Joshi in BKC too. At THE GOOD WIFE, no less, with Vikas and Varun!

I have also gone book shopping with Nishka in Mumbai and Anushka in Bangalore- both KIAMS students. Sheetal Garg is the gregarious one, and musically minded too, and we have talked a lot. Ishita and Anurag, are from Indore, and Anshita too, though we (along with Rupam, Gowri and Sreeram, Ishita, Anurag too) met in Bangalore thanks to her. Meenu Mynam, I met after long at Bangalore.

Savitha (from KIAMS 1998-2000) and I are thick pals now, and so are Shatakshi and hubby. Vidya and Swapna I met in Singapore twice and had a great time.  Smita, in Dubai, and we went stargazing too!

Swati Jain, of the Curly Hair fame, and I had a great time meeting on a rainy evening in Juhu. And Anusha Soni and I met up in Pune after the Golf course at IIM Indore! She's my pal from Bhopal! Nikhil Damle (KIAMS) and I had a long chat at NMIMS Blr. And Chaithu Gunapali of IFIM, and Pooja Varun from PESIT.

And my Biryani friend Pratima deserves a special mention! We keep meeting in Hyderabad. Shailaja Gupta Kapoor actually started a group for IIM alums that's doing fabulously well, and I met them a few times in Bangalore. Through the group, met Nupur Prasmit whose wedding reception was last week in Indore! Also an Indori from KIAMS, Nidhi Kanungo, met me at IIM campus a few years ago.. she advised me to get onto Instagram, and I did..now!

More recently, met Ananya Nandi De at NOIDA too, along with her hubby and son. Had a great time! Here's to more such conversations, planned or impromptu.