She hates scribbling love messages on greeting cards. After their little secret was discovered by her guy’s mother — thanks to a card carelessly concealed in Dante’s Inferno — Shonali has been wishing her “honey” Divali and Valentines with chocolates full of blueberry, caramel, cherry and love.

Otherwise also, the under-grad knows that the route to a guy’s thumping-ever-for-love-pangs heart is through his little tummy. And the fastest way to reach there is with the help of chocolates. If they are covered with ginger or espresso beans, nothing like it for a steaming gingery affair.

No wonder, Shonali has picked up a nice box of assorted chocolates to give “sugar” Rahul a taste of affection on Diwali. "I am sure he will relish it, along with my love” she smiles. “Anyways, the gift goes well with his personality. You see, Rahul himself is so chocolaty”.

Shonali is not alone. Her neighbour Ruchira also believes in “chocolate love”. She has been saying it with chocolates ever since dad started giving her the pocket money, when she was in Class V. So many times the sweet little 16 has made amends with white chocolates. Or presented “fruit and nuts” to her guy friends on the Chocolate Day without the fear of being caught by their parents.

“Chocolates are in good taste. No doubt about it,” she says. “They cost as much as cards, but are safer. You savour them and that’s the end of it. They leave behind no tell-tale signs of clandestine love stolen in the shadows of the night....”

Passing manicured fingers through almond-brown hair, she adds: “Cards, on the other hand, give you a headache. You are in a catch-22 situation with them around. Burning up the accepted cards breaks your heart. Preserving them results in the fear of being caught. Then there is the possibility of being blackmailed by the guys even if you do not pen down your real name. Leaving it blank looks odd. It’s better not to give or accept cards at all”.

Cashing in on their desire to play safe, yet express feelings in material terms, are confectionary shopkeepers all over the city. Push open the glass doors and you will find boxes and baskets full of chocolates, nicely wrapped in cellophane paper, secured properly with alluring red ribbon. Some are in heart shape, others moulded into teddy bears. So guys and dolls, if you haven’t done your Divali shopping, forget all about the cards. Pick up chocolates. Now: Happy munching.

Chocolate love

Folks, stop feeling guilty. You are not the only ones in love with chocolates. In the UK alone, people on an average pull out something like over £ 3 billion ($ 4.5 billion) on chocolates. Consumers in the USA pay more than $7 billion. An average US citizen eats 5.45 kg of chocolate annually. A Swiss consumes 11 kg every year.

Impress your date

Chocolate was first eaten in solid form in the middle of 17th century after bakers in England added cocoa powder to cakes. Chocolate, as you savour today, came into existence way back in 1847. Information available on the Internet says Fry & Sons-founded in 1728 in Bristol-mixed sugar with cocoa powder and cocoa butter to produce first solid chocolate bar. But in 1875, Swiss manufacturer Daniel Peters came out with a method to combine cocoa powder with cocoa butter and sugar, along with milk powder, to produce first milk chocolate.

All for health

The Vatika High School for the Deaf and Dumb in Sector 19-B, is inspiring for the joie de vivre that effuses the atmosphere; an example in self-reliance where children learn to make candles, cane chairs, embroider and tailor, cook, study computers and tying and learn the nuances of running a beauty parlour—all this apart from their regular studies as the school goes up to the tenth standard.

The most charming bunch of candles is splayed out near the playing fields—all for sale. With 48 different varieties on offer, the pride is evident in the body language—for all these have been made by the children under the supervision of their teachers Mrs. Kala Sharma and Mr. Vijay Kumar.

The effort is praise-worthy, for, right from heating the wax to oiling the moulds, opening the casts, polishing the candles and packaging them in different coloured boxes is the achievement of these young ones.

A cherubic smile in place, Kuldip a young lad in the fifth standard, niftily cuts out the excessive wax, opens up the casts with the candle enclosed within and cleans up the candle in a jiffy. Although the teachers allow only classes 6 to 10 to make candles, this young lad—bright and sprightly—is one of the few exceptions!

Candles from one rupee to forty rupees dot the display box although most are packaged in lots. Choose from three layers of fancy candles, 22 in a box (Rs. 150) or then elephants raising themselves on their hind legs (Rs. 15 a piece), a packet of 6 colourful flowers with beautiful decorations on each (Rs. 100) or then pick up plain candles, 18 in a pack for Rs. 20 or 15 or 10 depending on the size. The choices are aplenty with the most delightful shapes and sizes on offer.

With a majority of us busy cleaning and decorating houses and of course buying and wrapping gifts for the D-day, the chore of airing and sunning of woolens are is taking a back seat. But this is not a task you can postpone any longer. Even if you can ignore the morning and evening chill for a while, the market force, specially the mannequins wearing attractive jackets and sweaters, is going to remind you constantly that the winter is just about to knock at your door.

“We have taken out the light woolens for mornings and evenings, not sweaters but just warm pants and suits,” says Madhur Kapila of Sector 11. What about the heavy ones? “I do not have to worry, because before stacking them up for the summer, I washed and ironed them. I kept each one wrapped in polythene. They are absolutely ready to wear,” she says with a twinkle in her eyes.

Manju Wadwalkar keeps hers in a steel almirah, which is specially kept for the woolens. “ I keep them nice and clean, but will have to air them to make them wearable,” she says. A job she has been dilly-dallying because with so many seminars and conferences going on at PGI, as the Public Relation Officer, she barely has time to think about the woolens at present.

Vandana Korpal, a resident of Mohali preserves her woolens with great care. “I tied a few cloves with a muslin cloth and kept them inside the woolens which were washed and ironed before I kept them in a trunk.” Cloves, because she does not like the smelly camphors or Odonils to fight the moth. She has taken out her denim jackets, but the sweaters have to wait for yet another week. Not until Divali at least.

“I am all set to dazzle that day with a Bandhni suit in Gold embroidery. I do not want to spoil the effect by wearing a shawl or a sweater.” She is not alone. “I want to wear a saree with a low cut blouse for Diwali. Why should I think about the woolens now,” says Ms Kapila.

“A saree blouse in today’s world says so much about a woman’s signature style,” according to fashion diva Ritu Kumar.

“I think that today women want to say something through even the saree blouse they wear. It is an elegant style statement.” Gone are the days when the high-necked long-sleeved look was in. Kumar cites necklines in Bollywood and says “the trend now is a ‘less is more’ kind of language. And why not? If you have the figure and the skin, show it off!” Going back in time, Ravi Varma’s portraits of Nair women show them wearing only the white sari or mundu without a blouse.

“In the olden days women did not wear blouses,” says Rajamma, 85, a trendsetter in her days at Madras Presidency College in Chennai. “We wore printed blouses in the 1950’s,” she says.

The earliest evidence of an Indian blouse is the kachuli - an unstitched piece of cloth stretched across the bosom and knotted at the back.

From that humble beginning emerged the backless cholis and then came the lacy, full-sleeved blouses inspired by the fashion trends on London streets.

Rajamma speaks of the 1950s and the 1960s look when blouses were soft drapes - simple and timeless with long sleeves.

“Waheeda Rehman and Suraiya were our inspiration,” she says, adding: “The 50s were fundamentally a time of conformity. You wouldn’t find anything wild or risqué”.

Thus, in the hit movie “Parineeta”, Vidya Balan sported the soft feminine look of the puffed-sleeve blouses in keeping with the 1950s’ idea of womanhood.

Fast forward to 2005 and the saree blouse has gone through a minimalist transformation. For instance, Mandira Bedi’s blouses on TV are always very swank and revealing. She might wear a halter-top and bring in summer 365 days of the year, or a classy backless number that speaks style.

Today the blouse trends of the West are influencing saree blouse designs.

Thus halter necks, backless cholis, low U necks, boat necks, off-the-shoulder and a host of other sizzling designs that reveal and highlight the finer lines of the back and bosom are among the latest avatars of the sari blouse.

Designer Ritu Beri combines embroidered lace blouses with satin sarees. She also has a variety of halter necks, backless cholis and the rather conservative round-neck, short-sleeved variety with a lot of back detailing like strings, key-holes and intricate embroidery.

“Embroidery is ageless,” says Ritu who works with all kinds of embroidery and believes in embellishment all the way.

The fabrics of the moment? “Women look for handloom cottons, chiffon and georgette, and, once it’s cooler, velvet and the ever-versatile silk,” says Ritu Kumar. At present, her racks have an array of peasant, asymmetrical, off-shoulder blouses in mothra and Leheriya prints as well as heavy embroidered sets with sarees.

Crepes, khadi tussars, matka silk, sturdy cottons—kantha work, phulkari dupattas, intricate hand embroidery, Kashmiri motifs—the collection dazzles with its range of designs, patterns and block-printed motifs in cheery shades and colour.

With the unstitched suits ranging from Rs, 850 for the zari patties and embroidery on cottons to Rs. 3500 for the silks and crepes, choose from a fully embroidered salwar with a lovely trellis pattern in cotton tussar in a blue-green combination (Rs. 2250) or a light pink and grey tussar paper silk outfit with the block-prints highlighted by embroidery (Rs. 2750) or then the black and fuchsia fanning sea corral kurta (Rs. 1250).

There are strikingly unusual skirts and tops with rope-work and beads, saris in rust and green and pink and mauve, a bevy of bright silk scarves (Rs. 450), inky purple or gentle green bedcovers (most of them come with two cushion covers) in attractive tie & dyed shades with block prints strewn over (Rs. 750 to Rs. 2500) and the graceful browns, blacks, greens –kurtas and shirts for men (Rs. 750 to 1350) all adding to the festive appeal.

Couple the women’s wear with a turquoise and grey labradorite necklace (Rs. 1250) or a enchanting ionite stone neckpiece (Rs. 500) or then the superb baroque pearls with silver or the yellow amber with green malachite stones, pink and grey pearls, orange cornelian with silver pieces strewn (Rs. 1250) and you are ready to make a flamboyant entry into a party!

What makes Monica Singh’s exhibitions unique is that the profits from the sales are given towards the treatment of poor patients in hospitals and clinics in Chandigarh and Delhi. “I am very fortunate to have everything I want and this kind of effort is a very personal,” she says with a wry grimace.

Very reticent about this aspect, Monica wants her colours and creativity to speak for her so, go on festoon the season with a sprightly collection on offer.

It is amazing that someone who had never even sung in his bathroom today has become one of the most sought after upcoming singers in Bollywood. With songs like “O Humdum Suniyo Re” (Saathiya) and “Bheege Hoth Tere” (Murder) in his kitty, Kunal Ganjawala is the most surprisingly soothing voice to hit the silver screen off late.

“I never thought I could sing. During my college days at Elphinstone, some of my seniors asked me to sing during ragging and that’s when I discovered that I had a voice. I started participating in competitions and it was at Malhar when playback singer Poornima encouraged me to take up singing professionally. Since I wasn’t trained classically I started learning music at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,” says Kunal, who got into the limelight with his commercial Doodh Doodh Doodh, which he sang for Leslie Lewis. “That made me a regular in the jingle industry.”

From jingles, Kunal graduated to albums and film songs. “Though Ranjit Barot and Rajat Bholakia I got to meet a lot of film composers who used me for various songs,” informs Kunal, adding that besides these two lyricists Mehboob also helped him establish his feet in the industry. “Mehboob Sahib introduced me to A.R. Rahman who gave me an opportunity to sing O Humdum Suniyo Re in Saathiya and also used me for Lakeer. I will always be grateful to Mehboob Sahib for trusting my voice.”

Till now, Kunal’s list of songs is impressive. He has sung for films like Saathiya, Rules - Pyar Ka Superhit Formula, Mumbai Matinee, Khakee, Run, Lakeer, Rudraksh, Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai, Fun2shh, I’m Proud to be Indian, Ab Ke Baras, Saaya, Badhai Ho B adhai and many more.

Amongst the recent releases that Kunal has had include Bheege Hoth Tere (Murder), Janabe Aali (Bardaasht), Shehzadi (Uuf Kya Jaadoo Mohabbat Hai). Kunal’s voice can also be heard in the soundtracks of Lakshya, Gayab, Naach, Dhoom, Kyon Ho Gaya Na, and Rewind amongst many other films.

A.R. Rahman, Anu Malik, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Sandesh Shandilya, Ram Sampat, Himesh Reshammaiya, Ranjit Barot, Amar Mohile and many more - the list of composers that Kunal has worked with or is working with seems endless.

While the film circuit is hot and happening for Kunal, he has also done to few private albums. His first album was called Ek Cutting Chai, which he recorded for Saregama-HMV in 1999. Thereafter he has sung for Jalwa III (Hai Re Hai Tere Ghungta), Absolute Mix (Bindu Re Bindu), and Honey Honey (featuring Salman Khan in the video).

Over 1000 jingles, a few hit private albums and of course a gamut of Hindi film hits, Kunal Ganjawala would be remembered and identified by his voice.

The freshness of his voice is definitely going to take Kunal places in Bollywood.

The performance of the students of WWICS’s international school Canadian Institute of International Studies (CIIS) added colour to the bash. The evening marked end with the annual award distribution ceremony for the best performers at work, in sports and extra-curricular is concerned.

Renee Zellweger’s marriage to country music star husband Kenny Chesney reportedly ended because she found it impossible to accept his conservative views on marriage.

According to Hollywood.com, the two were married just four months ago, but are annulling their marriage this week. The reason seems to be that Zellweger is determined to maintain her independence and this does not agree with Chesney’s view of the ideal wife that he was forcing on her.

Brad Pitt’s grandmother has advised him to go slow with his budding romance with Angelina Jolie because his family still hasn’t got over his divorce from Jennifer Aniston, reports Hollywood.com.

Pitt has been plagued by rumours that he is having an affair with Jolie since he split from his ex-wife.

Perk up! Don’t be such a loser. You just can’t give up because you are in separate cities now. If you were sure about your relationship for 5 years, what happened now? The best thing for you to do is be open about your feelings for her. Tell her about the agonising pangs you are suffering from. For all you know, she must be going through the same emotions herself and looking for some sort of re-assurance from you. Take it from me. Catch the next Shatabdi to Delhi and pour your heart out to this girl. Believe me, you will not regret it!

I am a woman in my early 40’s. I have a beautiful home, a great husband and three wonderful children. It all seems to be in order on the outside but I don’t seem to sleep. My family thinks I’m insomniac. What do I do? Please help.

Having it all on the surface is a part of the game of life. Maybe it seems all hunky dory on the surface but scratch it a little and a mountain of miseries is perhaps ready to explode. You touched an avalanche there. Sleep is a natural phenomenon and we all need adequate rest to function normally in our day-to-day chores. I would advise you various ways of dealing with issues which might be bothering you before going to bed. Please do not try to sweep them under the carpet, as it won’t help. Give yourself a break from the feeling that you have to deal with anything. Just allow yourself to be. The best thing is to calm yourself with meditation and exercises. Give yourself those 5-10 minutes before retiring to bed. Concentrate on any of your favourite visuals. Just enjoy the moment after daily practices of this and you will naturally go into relaxation mode and fall off to sleep.

I’m renovating my house and it is driving me crazy. I have a husband and two kids. Between dropping and picking up kids from school, organising food, a little entertaining and coping up with this chaos of workers, I feel I’m going absolutely mad. Although we have rented a house closely to keep our home functioning normal, I still feel I’m burning out with the stress of dealing with this situation.