Rahul Joglekar (L) with Malala
There's one Malala - the brave, courageous girl from Pakistan, whose story inspired the world. And then there's the other Malala - the one who has the rare gift of being a superb orator.
I've attended a few public speeches and been part of political rallies - both in South Asia and in England. But not very often do you have the kind of speaker who can cast a spell on the audience.
I watched Malala's rare public speech outside a library in Birmingham.
Yes, she is a teenager who came back from the jaws of death, she's a bold girl who defied the Taliban to study in school and became a symbol for so many people fighting terror and injustice across the world.
That story - makes you to come to listen to her - but what keeps you there is the brilliant oratory.
She joked about being a brummie (local word for people who live in Birmingham). And the audience laughed and cheered. She spoke of her own story and how she read nine books from her school library in Swat and felt very proud. But when she compared notes with locals in England, she learnt that everyone reads a lot of books and that's why she challenged herself to read thousands of books.
She said pens and books could help fight terrorism. Her voice resonated through the courtyard outside the library - clear, confident and moving.
I met her later and spoke to her father briefly. The warmth they both exude and the humility (even after the intense global media scrutiny) is remarkable.
I told her that she was an icon even in India. "Really?" She said almost with disbelieving eyes. And then she smiled. Her father said that he had indeed received a lot of support and "good wish cards" from India and wanted to thank young children in India for their support.
Many in the crowd were really impressed. A pensioner who came to see Malala was not disappointed. "I have been to Pakistan and I love that country. I can almost see flashes of Benazir Bhutto in the young girl. It is quite possible that she can be a president in Pakistan," she said.
For me personally, it was great to meet the other Malala - confident, articulate and media savvy. A future president? A question she may want to answer after she's out of school.
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Rahul Joglekar is a freelance journalist based in London. You can visit his website: www.rahuljoglekar.com or follow him on twitter @r_joggy)
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