I don’t know if it surprises you or not, but I get a lot of hate mail. Actually, those of you writing it won’t be surprised at all... Anyway. I’ve said that the thing I like about writing this column is that I get to reach out and connect with people on a more personal level. Here’s the downside; you also open yourself up to a lot of negativity. A lot of hostility, a lot of derision and outright hatred. For reasons that range from the somewhat plausible to the outer reaches of insanity. It’s only natural; anytime you open yourself up, you get good and bad.

People who can just never see the good in anyone (thanks sits) and would rather believe the absolute worst. Who will say unpleasant things just because they can, because they know someone is listening. I tell you this next bit knowing it will give tremendous satisfaction to a lot of people. But I’m okay with that, because I’d rather be honest with you. The hate letters hurt. They manage to touch me, to affect me. And a lot of them stay with me. But every so often something happens that makes going through all that unpleasantness worth your while. A couple of months ago, I got an email from a guy who loved a girl, but she was marrying someone else. He asked me to include a message from him to her in my column. So I did. “Shinky, Shona really loves you a lot, give it a thought” was the last sentence of my column that week. Funny, but I remember it vividly.

This week, I got an email from the same guy. His name is Chetan, and he informed me that the girl in question is now getting engaged to him, and they will be getting married next year. He said thank you, that I’ve made a difference in his life, and he will always remember it.

And right there is the reason I do it. I open myself up to it all; I take all the negativity, the hostility, the derision and hatred because every so often, it gives me the chance to do something truly incredible. Truly beautiful. It gives me the chance to make a difference to someone’s life. Perhaps there’s an element of selfishness in my reasons, who knows.

But thank you Chetan. Thanks for making my day. I’m thrilled that you two ended up together, and I wish you many many happy years together.