You get lovely semi precious stones in Malaysia, don't forget to buy them, advised my friend as soon as she knew I was going there for a conference. Try to get a few for me as well, she added.

Onyx is real cheap there, please get a strand for me, requested another.

You get beautiful key chains made of pewter , pick up a few for me, ordered my husband.

'Katradhu Tamizh' Ram's next Diwali in Suburbs Rajini Still In A Dilemma! அஜீத் பேட்டி? ராம் இயக்கத்தில் சேரன்? கமல் பாராட்டிய டைட்டில்்

Mamma, I want the latest mobile with a camera ,pleaded my daughter Preeti.

I tried to reason with her saying we get better mobiles in our own country but she refused to get convinced.

Conference over, the organizers arranged for site seeing and shopping for the delegates .We were accompanied by a local guide who could speak English.

After seeing the highlights of the city ,at the end of the day we headed for shopping.

I picked up the mobile at one of the shops in the biggest mall I had ever seen reluctantly parting with a large sum . To my surprise I found a variety of semi precious and synthetic stones in the pewter factory. On an impulse I purchased a couple of strands of onyx ,black and grey costing thousands when converted into rupees. The pewter key chains were the most inexpensive of the lot, I realised.

Seeing the gleaming black and gray stones my friends suggested we string them along with gold to enhance their beauty.

Where did you buy these strands, asked the jeweler even as he examined them.

In Malaysia, I said proudly and more out of curiousity asked him to assess their value.

Well, each strand of onyx might cost less than a thousand and the black metal (seeing the grey"onyx") probably a hundred rupees, he said without batting an eyelid!

Pleasure and pain go in pairs, don't they?