What would an average day be like?
I reserve the mornings for shopping, bank jobs, my work at the Poona Women's Council or any outside activities. In the afternoon I like to do some stitching or knitting or crochet. I like to stitch my own blouses, and in winter I start on my knitting. The afternoons are also the time when I catch up on my letter writing.

Are you very particular about letter-writing or keeping in touch?
Yes, it is an important aspect for me. I have some relatives and some friends from our army life with whom I maintain regular contact through letters. Then on New Year I send out cards to a lot more.

Why have you never chosen to work as such?
My home and children have always been my first priority. Honesty and truth are qualities are very important to me, and which I have always instilled in my children, and I think they have come up well. Being together as a family is very important. We are all outdoor freaks and in Sundays and holidays we would take the children out for picnics, maybe to a nearby stud farm, or a factory or for sailing. Since they were studying in hostels, it was very important that we spend as much time together as possible, during their vacations.

What is your relationship with your daughters-in-law?
My daughters in law Minal and Aban are both sweet, good and adorable girls. I regard them more as daughters and friends rather than daughters in law. They also have a lot of confidence in us which is evident from the fact that they have often left their children completely in our care. Just last month when Cyrus and Aban were here from the USA, they decided to pay a fortnight's visit to Singapore, leaving Karl and Shaniya with us. We had a wonderful time. My husband would play all sorts of games with them in the garden and they all enjoyed themselves thoroughly. Ashish has also been with us when she was studying in school.

How important is budgeting for you?
I frankly, I am not very good with the budgets. If the money is there, I tend to spend it. But at the same time when the need arises, I can do without a lot of things. What holds priority, however, in my list of spending is education and for that, I can give up many things. When we sent our eldest son to Mayo College, we found we could without all the luxuries. And when we send our younger son there, so many things we had thought were necessities became luxurious and we found that we could do without those.

As an Army wife you have done a lot of entertaining. What was your criteria as a hostess?
I love entertainment. I am a very easy hostess, who doesn't get easily hassled,. Even friends who come to stay with us know our attitude and take life as we live it. Even now, I love to entertain at home and I would prefer to have my friends come over and have whatever I can make at home, rather then take them out to a swanky restaurant.

How did you get drawn towards social work and the Poona Women's Council?
My other has always been involved in welfare activities. During the partition, we were in Orissa and I have seen my mother help out with the refugees' problem. In the Army ofcourse, we have our welfare activities and as for the PWC, it was my mother-in-law who introduced me to it. She herself was quite active in it even up to the age of 96. My husband too, is very active with ex-servicemen's causes and consumer rights. I help out in that work too, occasionally. I feel we have received so much from society, we have achieved all our aims. We can't always be taking, we must also give something back and this is may way of doing it.

What is the secret of your happy relationship with husband?
My husband has always been a great support to me. He has given me 100 per cent support. Besides, we both lead active lives and have never been in each other's hair. He is busy with his writings, his research and consumer movements, just as I am with my welfare work, and we both help each other out as the occasion arises.