I've been thinking about how much I've changed in the last couple of years and I must confess to being a bit surprised.

I now buy and wear expensive perfume. There was a time I could not stand fragrance of any kind and would banish people who sprayed strong scents in my presence.

I get my lingerie at that ridiculously priced (at least, here in India) Marks & Spencers. A place I never thought I would enter, simply because it looked too staid and boring from the outside.

I drink Scotch whisky and recently spent a bomb on 3 bottles of single malt. And whisky was the one drink I thought I would never touch.

I eat karela (bitter gourd) at least once a week. I could not even bear to look at it before and it was the only vegetable I would not touch. I still don't like it, but I force feed it to myself :)

I start my day with tea instead of coffee. I still miss the aroma of freshly brewed coffee beans though and it remains one of my favourite smells, along with fresh lime, the first rains and baby powder.

I can actually resist chocolate now! Earlier, I would go through an entire box if I had my way. Now there's a box of my favourite liquer chocolates (Anthon Berg) in the fridge and I haven't touched them in the last 2 months.

I detach myself from people with less difficulty now. It's easier to let go of the chains when you realise not only are they made of metal, they're also rusting.

I also don't feel as guilty as I used to. As long as my conscience is clear, I don't care how bad someone else is feeling for something they've brought upon themselves.

I'm not as obsessed as I was about travelling. If I'm lucky and I can someday see Machu Picchu or the Northern Lights I would be kicked for sure. But if I find out I'm dying tomorrow without seeing them I would not be depressed.

I'm also not as obsessed about getting my book published. Just writing and completing it will be my greatest accomplishment. Having it published would be the icing of course, but my favourite cake is warm brown chocolate without the extra sugar on top!

I'm not as scared about being left alone as I used to be. If tomorrow my husband wants to call it quits, I will wish him luck and move out. It would hurt like hell and I would always miss him, but I would be happier knowing we did not turn what we had into something we could no longer recognise.

I'm not as worried about being put into a straitjacket and dragged away by the men in white. If I lose my mind so be it, I'm sure someone somewhere will be entertained and end up being the better for it :)