And the Winners!

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Edited:

Updated list of people who are coming for the Blogger's Lunch on Sep 8th :)

*Dipta

*Aneela 

*Chandni 

*Nm 

*Sia 

*LivinginGurgaon 

*Ritz 

*Nibedita 

*Shagun 

*Numerounity
*Amrita

*Soul Speaks

*Harjeet

*Rashmi

....TheMadMomma and Sonia we shall miss you :(

*PriyaSreeram and Nisha just happen to be a 'little' far away from Delhi-NCR :(

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First of all, thank you all for the fabulous participation to the Just Married, Please Excuse Contest.

Now I know why all those reality show judges always say stuff like '' It was just so hard for us to make this decision ...we really debated this...all of you were so great...etc etc''. What's that you say? Reality Show Judges don't say that anymore? Well, someone sure says it - and anyway, that's not the point, the point is that I'm saying it now. Jesus, stop arguing with me, let me go ahead now and announce the winners, huh? 

Wait...Okay, slight teensy-weensy leeeetle problem - I probably should have told you guys earlier, but we hadn't budgeted to send the copies abroad. Therefore, we can ship only within India. *Ooopsie* But hey, look - I could have conveniently chosen to ignore the foreign entries - but my innate sense of fairness kicked in - and some of those stories were the best ones. So please, guys, do me a favour and let me know the India Address to which the books can be couriered, huh? Someone in your family or friend circle you think would enjoy the book as a gift, maybe? Now let us go ahead and announce...

Wait...Maybe I should explain. I've read each and every of the entries quite carefully myself. I've asked a small select group of people in my inner circle for their carefully considered opinion. I've made an excel sheet and awarded points on various parameters and applied my own patented formula to pick the winners, which has included only a dash of Eenie Meenie Mynie Mo. It's all been quite traumatic. Fortunately, the stories were truly great and this has helped preserve the remnants of my sanity - and once again I thank you. 

If anyone is still awake after that completely unnecessarily long-winded preamble, here we go:

*Drumroll*

The people to join us for lunch at Mamagoto, Gurgaon on Sep 8th (apart from winning copies of JMPE) ARE - 

(This assumes all of you are based in Delhi-NCR, of course. Email me if I've got it wrong.)

*Dipta ( for sharing how terrible he can make things for his lovely wife)

*MadMomma ( for the very filmy dose of stories)

*Aneela ( sharing the general looniness of her family, including herself)

*Chandni (the only abduction story in the mix)

*Nm (for wearing her sari inside out)

*Sia (for her sleeptalking and scaring her new in-laws)

*LivinginGurgaon (for stinking up the joint just before two elderly ladies visit)

*Ritz (for making Dahi just how I would have done it)

*Nibedita (for not one but three funny stories)

*Shagun ( for her not-marrying-you-for-sure mister story)

*Sonia (for several funny stories that are even illustrated with pictures)

*PriyaSreeram ( for her Kumbhakaran Saga)

*Nisha (for the amusingly written champagne saga)
*Numerounity (for actually asking her mother for a story since she was so keen to win)

And the others  who shall have signed copies of the book sent to them (or friends/family in India are:)

*Sundar ( a story definitely worth reading)

*Parama (for her funny conversations)

*A (for asking if about the Queen's Chembur branch)

*R (for saying 'Baraah Dadi' in response to an important question)

*Momofrs ( for her assorted funnies, including tumbling down the stairs on honeymoon)

*Pepper (for the Shoe saga)

*R's Mom ( for dancing at her Tambram wedding)

*Chandrayee (for her Lord of the Rings story)

*Ashwathy (for the drama she described, including one hapless younger brother's ass being kicked)

*Spiritual Flame (for the reverse Kumbhakaran story, where she's the one left out in the cold).

Honorable mentions: 

Great stories by Parul and Priya - my author friends.
Manav and Anirban, who are such good friends of both mine and my husband's that it would have been blatant nepotism to declare their rather cute stories as winners. (Manav, I know you hate the word cute...but it was...in a manly way.)
SJ who has started a blog of her own just to enter the contest!
The last minute and very wonderful entry by Kirti, who posted four times wondering if she was too late.
Funny story of 30 years ago in the comments section by Peristalsis and one nice one by Shilpa.

Oh heck. They were all great !

All Winners: You're supposed to say hi to me over email at yashodhara dot lal at gmail dot com right away, please - along with the mailing addresses and mobile numbers ( Indian ones please).

Please note: And if anyone has any strong objections about my selection, please write to me at my very special hitherto secret email ID at yashodhara dot lal's real not fake email address at gmail dot com.

Much love to you all, and many thanks once again!

*Heaves sigh of relief and collapses*