Chitra alias Moina Medhi was the eldest daughter of Suren and Labanyaprobha Dutta of Shillong. Born in 1940, she was 82 when she passed away a few days ago. However, this article is about the lady who embodied the often cliched term 'joie de vivre'. "Yes, she loved the shade pink and coupled with her coiffured head of short but brilliant platinum locks, she turned heads whenever she decided to grace a gathering. She was truly elegance personified. Both her sons passed on to the other side, as did her husband Dr Girish Medhi, and yet her stoic personality refused to be cowed down. Her undying, infectious optimism was transmitted to those who knew her intimately. Let me get selfish here and talk about she and I. She wasn't my mother and neither was I her son, we were friends. Endless hours of gossip and trivia were exchanged every day. She on the sofa, me sitting cross-legged at her feet on the carpet. From mythology and the travails of mankind to Narendra Modi, we dissected them all. We found solutions that deserved Nobel Prizes and yet we were also dismayed at all the ills that plagued humanity. "C'est la vie", we would mourn. These 'adda' sessions are what I will miss the most. As far as culinary memories are concerned, I will miss her rahar dal and her 'Khar'; they were to die for. She, on the other hand, was the biggest advocate of my gastronomic attempts. Anything that I cooked was delectable, according to her. The last item that I cooked and she relished was Sewaii Payax, a couple of days before she decided to hop over to the infinite side. Pearls and the colour pink were her weaknesses and she was a nature lover who loved trees and flowers of variegated hues. Our last discussions revolved around the varied species of hibiscus and roses that I had planned to plant around the upcoming house that she didn't live to see completed. 'Elegance personified', 'life of a party', 'zest for lifè' and 'wanderlust' - these terms seem to have been created keeping her in mind. I could also add stoicism and braveheart. She shouldered all the pain that life had to offer and looked it in the eye and quietly whispered, "Bring it on, I am strong, stronger than you can imagine. ' Her daughter Indrani (my wife) and Chitra shared a relationship which was, if I may say, ambiguous. It was difficult to tell at times as to who was the mother and who was the child. They often crossed swords and yet it was evident that for Indrani, her mother as her raison d'etre. Over the years, she had ensured that she had fulfilled her mother's wanderlust by arranging and organizing sojourns from Sri Lanka to Southampton to Sadia. Indrani carries forward her torch of stoicism and pragmatism. That being said, no daughter could have done more than Indrani to ensure her mother's peace and comfort. Her granddaughter Indrakshi alias Boom Boom tried her best to educate her Aita about the nuances of digital marketing, branding and positioning. I don't know how much she grasped but I do know that she was intensely proud of Indrakshi's endeavours and always had an encouraging comment to goad her on. Besides, she was very proud of the fact that Indrakshi was a self-reliant person. I had many names for her, Ma Thakurain. Mother-in-Law, Chitra Super Coole, among others. Now as I write this, only one comes to my mind and that is Ma. Ma was elegant stoic, brave, pragmatic and quietly affectionate. Even though you weren't fortunate enough to have known her, I hope you will let Chitra alias Moina influence your life and make it a happier place. This is what she would have to say to you: "There's no point in mourning that which has happened, make light of your troubles and infirmities, chart a brighter tomorrow and hand over the blueprints to the ones who follow, even if you are not physically present to see it culminate". She lives within us. -Indrani, Indrakshi and Vikramaditya Also Read:   A tribute to Narendra Nath Bora: The gem of a person Also Watch:.