Already on the phone, she sounded nice. We weren?t disappointed. Bhavna Sarup in person is a breath of fresh air. How else do you describe niceness? You don?t, I suppose ? you just relax and enjoy the hour or so you spend in the company of such people. It?s a rare commodity these days.

Bhavna and her sister made a promise to each other as they were growing up- always to stay close to their parents. When her sister ended up getting married and moving to the States, she felt a bit strange. And then her own newly wedded husband said to her, nearly a year after their marriage, that he wanted to go and live in his mother?s home country of Mauritius. So Bhavna, being Bhavna, took it with a smile- and in her stride. ?Never say never? she lectured herself before packing her bags.

That was thirteen years ago. She has been here since. ?It?s a love story between us and the island. We love it.? she smiles. Bhavna can still remember her first day here. ?It was in June and the sugar cane was high. It was so green, it reminded me of a meadow in England, so beautiful?? she recalls as she explains to us why she made a conscious decision to love the place she and her husband chose to call home. ?You see, I have this great fear of apathy, of indifference. I cannot exist in a vacuum and so it was important to live here and not merely to exist. And to do this, you have to love the place you?re in.?

In case you?re wondering about the reasoning behind the emotion, don?t bother. Bhavna?s a Libra?

Both Bhavna and her husband Arjun were born in India. They consider themselves Mauritians as well. Their son was born in Mauritius but also holds an Indian passport. So, where is home? ?Well, says the Libran lady, when we?re here, come August, we book our tickets to go ?home? and then once we?ve spent a month or so there (India), we say to each other that?s it now time to go?home (Mauritius)!? explains Bhavna laughing. Oh dear, confusion, confusion? Any language problems ? « Well, we speak English?? says Bhavna slowly, with a guilty smile. No Creole? ?Er?no. The people at the market speak Hindi?? she replies sheepishly. ?No French?? ?Not at all.? This time, Bhavna doesn?t hesitate. I decide to be cheeky: how good is Bhavna?s Hindi?

?Well, it?s what people speak in Bombay but it?s not pure Hindi. I have been told I talked like the people on MTV. I?m not sure that?s a compliment!? she laughs adding that she was surprised when she heard people speak Hindi over here. ?It?s pure Hindi. Beautiful.?

Bhavna doesn?t know if she will ever go back to the other ?home? to stay. She would miss this one too much; if she did, she would miss the sound of birds singing, the rainbows and the tranquility. And we would miss the niceness and the laughter?