When I spent my first salary on my parents

A page from the personal diary of Priyamvada Kant This was in 2005, when I was 16. I had got my first pay cheque. I am a trained Oddisi dancer and my guruji Madhavi Mudgal is one of the most renowned dancers of the world. The Ministry of culture had selected me to perform for one of the prestigious shows in New York. I represented India and I successfully did it with my performance. I received loads of compliments for my act. I was on cloud nine and adding to that was my first pay cheque which was a good Rs 27,000.It was an indescribable feeling. I just kept admiring the cheque for days together.After I was done with that, I encashed it and went shopping with my parents. I bought a cell phone for my father and a microwave for my mother. I really pampered them because I am their only child and all these years they have pampered me a lot. The gifts made my parents emotional and I felt I should save the remaining amount. Two years later I landed in Mumbai to audition for Ekta kapoor’s shows. I was even selected for one of the key roles in Kis Desh Mein Hai Mera Dil but I could not do it because of my college and exams. This year I shifted to Mumbai and I bought my tickets to Mumbai with the same money which I had saved then! Soon I landed with two Balaji shows in my kitty and today I am earning a lot of money. But my first pay still holds that special place in my life.