Gaurima,

A little plaque that hangs on my wall says, “The Gods danced the day you were born.” Somebody gave it to Gaurima a long time ago. I took it from her room after she went away.

That is how I always remember her! Dancing Odissi. With the Gods. A perfect sculpture coming alive. At once, sensuous and sensual. Riveting in performance, she danced as if that was all she was meant to do and as if she was the most beautiful woman alive. A perfect performer, she was in her life and on the stage much the same. Always the centre of attraction. People gathered around her to be touched by her warmth, her laughter, her passion and her beauty.

An extraordinary person, you knew instantly when you met her that here was someone you could trust implicitly and depend on to keep her end of the bargain. Her friends, her students, her Gurus, if they were honest would not disagree, that she was the best friend you could have.

To me, she was the most fascinating individual I have ever met. My Gaurima. The single most important influence in my adult life.