She's a model with that elfin charm and that dimpled smile. Two failed marriages, but two lovely children later, Nandini Sen has found her niche as a teacher of Art of Living courses. She unspools snatches from her past.

I had a happy childhood in South Mumbai. The aroma of food and the sense of sharing every single piece of chocolate, with my siblings Nikhil (who is chief operating officer of Britannia) and Priya, and the comfort of our home are memories that I cherish.

Family Ties
I still remember when we were kids, and both Nikhil and I were flipping through an album of photographs. I began to make fun of the way he looked, and he got so angry that he stuck a pencil into my head, which actually went in and made my head bleed.

But we were a close-knit family, the five of us, including dad and mom. Like when we ate French fries at home, every single fry was shared equally amongst us, and the last uneven one, would be cut in three shares for all of us, impartially.

I think it was when my father passed away that I realised how close we were as a family. Now I understand why a family mourns for 10 days - it brings people closer.

Stepping On The Ramp
Modelling happened to me by chance. My mom had taken me to Marve Beach before my ICSC exams, and Suman Hattukudu, a model coordinator asked my mom, if I could model. I was 16 then, and my first campaign was for Binny's. Thereafter it was a roller-coaster ride for 20-odd years with I had reached a burn-out phase in my career and my personal life was also a jumble. But when I met my guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, I found new meaning in life.

What appeals to me most about him is his eye for detail campaigns for Lakme, Cherry Blossom, Bombay Dyeing and Ponds. There were few hairdressers then, and we did our own make-up. I made a lot of friends, and walked the ramp with the likes of Kimi Katkar, Anna Bredmeyer and Sharmila Roy Choudhury.

I travelled to Germany Japan, Dubai and Singapore, and the experience taught me to be confident, make eye contact and how to relate to people. Most of all it taught me to smile. A smile can make most things simple. All these I bring to the table during my teaching sessions today.

Best Friends
I think best friends are important in life. My best friend is still Soni Razdan-Bhatt. We were friends since the 8th standard. I remember we'd sit in my 17th floor apartment at Meherdad in Bandra and listen to Leonardo Cohor and feel very hip. In the rains, we'd catch a bus and go to Taj, and share a hot chocolate between us because we never had money for anything else. We giggled at everything on the face of this earth.

I had my first crush at the age of 13, and was friends with him till quite some time. Then more crushes followed, and sweet-short romances, till my marriage when I was only 21. I think I grew up only after my two marriages had been over, I was too young at 21.

Marriage Tangles
Sahil, my son, is from my first marriage, and I was too inexperienced at that time to handle myself, leave alone a baby. It didn't work out because of our differences, and we grew apart. But I have no regrets. Tasha, my daughter was born when I married Gautam Berry. It was so strange that even this did not work out. Strange because when I was a young girl I would tell my grandmother to find me a nice husband, but look how I went about the whole thing!

Life can be unpredictable, but you learn a lot from your experiences, your mistakes and you come to terms with who you really are. I don't think I made a good mother for Sahil as I was too naive. With Tasha, it has been better, and then being with Art of Living (AOL) has also given me endless patience.

Crossroads In Life
Professionally, too I had enough. I had reached a bum-out phase and my personal life was also a jumble. It was after a close friend Rhea Pillai introduced me to AOL and I met my guru, that I found new meaning in life. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is wonderful, childlike yet a serious guru. What appeals to me the most about him is his eye for detail.

There isn't a single tree, a flower or plant in the ashram at Kanakpura (in Bangalore) that has been planted and he doesn't know about. He's amazing, and he makes you recognise the beauty inside you. I feel re-born, and grateful for this new career path that I have today.

Time Well Spent
I travel around the world even today, and meet many people at the AOL course, each of whom has come for some sustenance, like Sachin Tendulkar, Nagma, Pullela Gopichand. One doesn't have to be a celebrity to want to know answers to life's questions, but these people are definitely a source of inspiration for the youth in our country who are so troubled most of the time. I'm convinced that AOL has most, if not all the answers.

When I look at my children today I know I haven't wasted my life. They are a constant source of energy that helps me to do whatever I do. Sahil, who is 26, is obsessed with music, and even a member of a band in London. He released his first spiritual music album 'Avataran', and is also a teacher at AOL.

He tells me, "Ma, you are the master of your own destiny," and I think how right he is... Despite the cards dealt to me, look how I shaped up! Even with my daughter Tasha, I learnt to never question my feelings, and never expect anything when you are giving love. Life has come full circle, I have a family I adore, and a faith that keeps me going... What more could I ask for?

Nandlni Sen Spoke To Priyadarshini Nandy

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