Chandigarh, February 20
Like a true queen, Celina Jaitely took time to mark her first public presence in the City Beautiful today. Security reasons had it so that the newly-crowned Ms India Universe 2001 was actually the last person to alight from the Jet Airways flight at the Chandigarh Airport this afternoon. But as and when the jittery wait ended, it was Celina’s magic which played on and on, until the time she had to leave so that she could do justice to the packed schedule — the NIFD convocation, followed by the felicitation function at Hotel Mountview in the night...and not to discount those innumerable gracious gestures which a very-fresh beauty queen is expected to make.

There obviously was very little time at hand, not just for Celina but also for us. However, as luck would have it, The Tribune managed to spend some exclusive moments with the young Kolkata girl in the car while she was being driven down from the airport to Hotel Mountview. As the conversation progressed one knew of the very balanced girl that Celina Jaitely is, as also about how very laced with chance her courtship with success has been.

“Destiny has played a tremendous role in bringing me here. I had never planned that I would have modelling as the main career. In fact, I was always interested in getting into the armed forces and all this while I had been preparing for the Common Defence Services exam,” said the girl blessed with amazing charms, born as she is to a Punjabi father and Afghani mother.

It all happened when Celina’s mother sent across a form of the contest titled Tillotama (meaning beauty) which is considered the most prestigious beauty contest in Kolkata. “I just took the chance and it clicked. After that I was instantly signed for 15 shows all over the country. Meanwhile, the Ms India happened and my dream came true,” said Celina, crossing her fingers.

And ever since that fabulous day of victory, the girl has been travelling, so much so that she has not had the time to see her parents. Come to the mention of her home and she turns nostalgic, “I adore my father who has been serving the Kumaon regiment for very long now. I grew up in a very patriotic ambience where serving the nation was considered the best engagement. Hence my inclination towards the armed forces. My brother is also in the India Army. He is the sixth generation serving the Army.”

Where Celina’s dreams took a turn for the better, and brought her in the midst of glamour, her convictions kept growing stronger. “I am truly enjoying the new-found fondness and I am feeling very special. Right now I want to focus on life as it comes by. I will take up every phase, one by one.” Commenting on whether or not she would enter filmdom, Celina said, “I don’t want to leap for the ultimate right now. Because if I do that, my business on earth will be over. I will give time to all priorities so that I can value each one of them.”

Tackling priorities will not be difficult for Celina who has vanquished 29 others in the Ms India contest. However, she is working towards mental strength which Rhea Pillai is helping her restore through the art of living courses. “Physical fitness will be taken care of by the professionals who will train me for the Ms Universe pageant. But I want to gain mental poise so as to feel comfortable with the idea that I will shortly be competing with 90 most dynamic women in the world,” she said.

A bit of reading might help her there. And that she is very fond of English classic literature. “I admire Ruskin Bond and Kushwant Singh ,” she says, adding that music also does a lot of relieving for her. “I am a fan of Jagjit Singh,” says the green-eyed beauty. And where does she head when inspiration is falling short? “Mountains and snow-capped hills beckon me all the time. I have lived in the Kumaon hills for very long and so the impact is natural. I can draw immense romantic and psychological inspiration from the hills.”