Funny. Smart. Reliable. Trustworthy. Polite. Aware. Realistic. Charming. BINDASS. Shaista Siraj is all this, and so much more.Which begs the question: Who is Shaista Siraj?
Shaista Siraj, is exactly what her name means: Polite. Desires support and encouragement in all her goals. Extremely dedicated and very intelligent.
If I were a wizard, and if I were to produce a Patronus, my happy memory would definitely include Shaista Siraj and her kid.
So many happy memories and so much fun. Good times. :) I've always had a certain level of comfort with her. I could share just about anything with her, without the fear of being judged or disapproved of. She is a gem. Genuine and VERY realistic.
She once hit me on my knuckles. Something no one EVER did. She did that so that today, I can proudly say I cleared my Math Boards with flying colours. Yes, she tutored me through my worst nightmare. I'm ever indebted to her. Looking back, I think our little of our brainstorming sessions with a contented smile. Yes, her efforts ushered me through what seemed like an unsurmountable challenge. Ever grateful.
She gave me mini treats and our little evening junk feast...was to die for. She made the best French fries and garlic sauce. Not to forget, the soup that I loved to gorge on.
And since I'm talking food, how can I NOT mention Pani Puri, Samosa Chat and
Party planner. Party organizer. Party executor. LIFE OF THE PARTY.
Sans Shesto, any party would be a congregation of bored souls wondering when Shesto
would be back. Sleepovers. Parties. Rain Dance. With her, everything is a riot.
She is a fun bomb. ATOM bomb.
What I'll miss about her?
The fact that she always kept a straight face and heard all my nonsense out. Ever so patient, ever so beautiful.
An inspiration. She taught me how to make the best of both worlds. When there were days she talked to me about Islam and Hadeeth...there were also days when we drooled over Harry Potter, Vampire Dairies and SRK. She is the only person who let me read the DaVinci Code without batting an eyelid. Anyone else, would've blown me up. What more? We watched the movie together! How I'm gonna miss talking to her about the next addition to the Dan Brown series or trying to figure out the plot of an upcoming movie. And of course, our secret "let's go watch a movie" missions...that were NEVER successfully executed :P
What next? Here you go:
BOOKsoulMATE! I have never bought or read a book without thinking, "Shesto should read this too!" I'm in awe of her multi-tasking abilities. Cook. Work. Play. Laugh. Bring up a tornado. Smile through all of it. Yeah, Shesto does it all, without breaking a sweat. She's a rockstar all the way.
I've learnt so much from her. Though I'm sure she knows nothing about it. Surprisingly, she hasn't even noticed that she figures on my list of "Inspirational People" on Facebook.
She has been a tremendous positive influence for me. DARN! She is perfect. :) As Tony Morrison puts beautifully:
A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double.
Ah, so that should answer your question.
Shaista Siraj, an inspiration. A guidance.
A sister I never had.
