With an ever increasing number of people preferring nuclear families, I consider myself to be blessed to have been raised in a joint family setup. Being the youngest child in the entire family, I have been lucky to have been the object of my grandparents’ love and had the guidance of my uncles and aunts in addition to that of my parents’. I have been endlessly pampered by three elder sisters and two elder brothers. I hate calling them cousins as there has never been such a demarcation. Growing up, one of my favorite things to do was going for shopping with my sisters. As a little girl, I used to watch them being all excited about trips to apparel stores, Forever 21, and Pantaloons being their favorite, and trying on countless dresses. We used to come out of the stores with hands full of shopping bags every single time. My eldest sister is fourteen years elder to me and is my best friend. She invariably got me additional cute accessories on every visit.
Years passed, I started working for an IT firm in Mysore, Karnataka. To nobody’s surprise, the first thing did upon receiving my first salary was to go shopping. I discovered a store by the name of PEOPLE. It had the entire range of apparel I was looking for. Finally, I got gifts for everyone in the family. I even got extra accessories for my eldest sister. She had tears of joy and pride in her eyes when I gave them to her. She got married in the following year. Pantaloons, Forever 21, Allen Solly, Van Heusen, and Peter England were among the places we shopped the most from.
In some time, I started realizing that my professional aspirations are higher than what I had settled for. I made a conscious decision to leave my job and prepare for MBA entrance exams. It was the toughest decision of my life as the way forward was still uncertain. Throughout that time, I visualized myself studying at a premier business school, dressed up in business formals and working hard to build the life of my dreams. I worked really hard, despite of moments of doubts. The support of my family got me through the time and I scored really well in all exams that I took. My grandfather took me to Allen Solly to get me my first suit for my interviews. I aced them and converted all but two of all my calls and decided to join Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi. This was another opportunity for me to get more formal attire. I am happier and more inspired than I’ve ever been.
On the other hand, my eldest sister gave birth to a beautiful baby girl last month and I cannot wait to pamper and spoil her like I was by my family. I have already started assembling a wardrobe and accessory collection for her. I am sure Aditya Birla Group will continue to be as important part of her life as it has been of ours.