So I found the Proust Questionnaire and I thought of answering it. Like the ghost of Christmas Present says, ‘Know me better human!’

An interesting thing to note would be that I’ve answered the questions spontaneously, giving myself little time to think and think of a better answer.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Books, animals around me, soulful music and the voice of Stephen Fry narrating my best novels

What is your greatest fear?
Of encountering a situation where it’s better to say no but I can’t, because I don’t know how to say no

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Unable to be assertive

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Not being punctual, manipulative, attention seeking,

Which living person do you most admire?
No one in particular

What is your greatest extravagance?
Buying books worth 20USD, having brunch in a 4 star restaurant

What is your current state of mind?
Peaceful, bliss, unaffected, indifferent

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Loyalty

On what occasion do you lie?
When I think that lie is better than truth, when I think that my lie would not be caught, when I think that the person doesn’t deserve the truth

What do you most dislike about your appearance?
Pot belly, hair all over my body,

Which living person do you most despise?
No one in particular, I don’t spend time despising someone

What is the quality you most like in a man?
I don’t differentiate between genders, in humans, the quality I admire is grit

What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Same as above

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Literally, as a matter of fact, come on, so what you’re trying to say is,

What or who is the greatest love of your life?
A pen that writes so smoothly that it glides on paper effortlessly

When and where were you happiest?
Marina Beach, Chennai – witnessing a Sunrise

Which talent would you most like to have?
Not being complacent

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I’d stop procrastinating

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My article getting published in The Hindu – the one I wrote for Mother’s Day

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
I’d return as a monk

Where would you most like to live?
Rishikesh

What is your most treasured possession?
I don’t have any

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Sleeping empty stomach

What is your favourite occupation?
Writing

What is your most marked characteristic?
Empathy

What do you most value in your friends?
I don’t know

Who are your favourite writers?
Ayn Rand, William Dalrymple, Richard Bach, Herman Hesse, Umberto Eco, Harper Lee, Truman Capote, Yann Martel, so many others

Who is your hero of fiction?
Sherlock Holmes

Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Nikola Tesla, Ken Miles

Who are your heroes in real life?
No one in particular

What are your favourite names?
Victor, V

What is it that you most dislike?
Not keeping me informed about things related to me

What is your greatest regret?
Destroying the lives of women and causing trauma to their families

How would you like to die?
In sleep, or probably while I read a book

What is your motto?
Sonríe sì crees – Smile if you believe
Expectations hurt