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Capital girl on cloud nine

A Shahruk Khan and Kareena Kapoor fan, this 18-year old star achiever, who clinched the top rank beating several thousand of her peers, is fond of Hindi films and TV serials.

She told this correspondent over the phone from Surat in India, where she will be pursuing further studies in engineering, that she only came to know about her topping the UAE yesterday morning when her father called from Abu Dhabi and told her that he was informed by Khaleej Times that she stood first in UAE.

"I could not believe what my father said. I was expecting a first class with distinction but not the top position," she said over the lines.

"There is nothing special, only that I kept regular hours for studies. The secret, if there is one, is hardwork and attention," says Bhavna, while the school principal V. K. Kaul says: "The girl right from class one had been a good student".

Her father Tarachand Tourani, owner of Kings Textile, is all smiles at her daughter's achievement. "I am so happy she has brought honour to the family. We are proud of her. She is a very hard working and committed child and God has rewarded her."

The last of the three siblings, her elder sister and brother have all passed out of the Abu Dhabi Indian School, Bhavna wants to be an electronic engineer. and is presently in Surat to join the Regional Engineering College.

This is the first time that a student from the Sindhi community has topped the UAE and also the third time in succession that a girl has clinched the top place.

Mr Kaul principal of the Abu Dhabi Indian School, which has been regularly winning the accolade, says: "I probably think that girls, by virtue of their being more under the eyes of parents with not much of an outdoor life, fare better than boys, who are more involved in other activities and sports."

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