Looking back at 2013...

So,another year is about to end and I can already hear the b'day bells ringing! But more on that later. First and foremost, as a responsible and self-righteous blogger(and I say it with a straight face), my duty is to produce an ode to 2013 cum a New Year resolution post before it's, well, too late.
                                                                                                                           2013 has been a year of extremes, both good and bad. I gained my first exposure as far as the Corporate life is concerned and if my time in TCS is anything to go by, well, I can't wait to start working(of course you know I have a job now,don't you?)! I fell in love, after years and was fortunate enough to be loved back. I had my heart broken and learnt to live with it, happily. I rediscovered myself, met the person who holds the missing pieces of the puzzle of my life. We have known each other for long but never chose to explore just how much we have in common. But guess life had it planned after all. We met because we had to. He found out his insanity in me, like he says and I found my stability. Since then, he has been there like an angel- blessing me all the time and I've never been lost again. And this miracle led me to believe in a superior power, if not God. I lost a lot of close friends this year, grew distant with the rest but also gained such profound meanings of every relationship that I was hardly in a position to complain. Life has been difficult,full of challenges but seldom have I come out of a crisis so strong! Self-loathing used to be the emotion that defined me. I guess pride is slowly finding its way in.
                                  And now, with the New Year already knocking on my door, I have got to make myself a few promises. I don't believe in any New Year resolutions as such but one needs to be focused while ushering into the New Year. So,this year, I promise to try and fulfill the following-

• After a long time, I have started believing in love, magic and everything else that the Fairy Tales had taught us. Being a cynic might make one feel intellectually superior but optimism takes one farther. So, I choose to believe in all the stupid good things that we thought never really existed and give life a try.
• I haven't been the best daughter all my life. Even though I loved my parents in my own way, I have been an out-and-out rebel. Since I'm getting older now(yes,turning 24 DOES make me feel aged, in a good way), I have started to appreciate everything that my parents have done for me ever since I was born and even though I don't know how long it'd take(given my salary and other constraints),I'd try to make my parents happy in whatever way possible-maybe a small meal or a meaningful conversation...the choices are aplenty.
• I've spent a considerable number of years hating people, feeling miserable and thinking about getting even. But the joy of forgiving is not a cliche. It really makes the sun shine brighter and the birds sing sweeter. I have already forgiven most of the people I had held any grudge against but I'm going to forgive more and let go of all my pain in the process. Everyone is worth loving. Everyone deserves forgiveness.

And now, the usual ones that you'd be able to see coming if you know me a little-

• Read more.
• Shop wisely.
• Wait for love.
• Eat carefully.
• Value the real friends.
• Write less frequently but with more heart.
• Don't miss gym.
• Drink responsibly.
• Discover the small pleasures of life- a Sunday walk, a book finished in Starmark, piping hot momos, ginger tea, curling up inside the blanket, an early morning or late night phone call from the one who matters.
• Learn to avoid regrets.
• Save enough money to enroll for a proper French course.
• And of course, MOST IMPORTANTLY,dance more.

And now, the pictures from the street food adda with my sunshine girls! If you live in Kolkata and haven't been to Jhaal Farezi, let me tell you that it's an absolutely must visit- for the reasonable price, the ambiance, the decor, the courteous staff, the live music and what not! It's absolutely worth the journey to Park Circus and the fact that one can just hang around for hours with a cup of green tea definitely earns brownie points from me. Also, I think I'm going to dedicate an entire post to maxis and how they have made life a lot more fun and lot less stressful for the mankind.

Maxi dress-Sudder Street,heart print shirt,ring-B.K.Market,shoes-Simpark Mall,clutch-borrowed

If there's one thing that I'm good at, that is having a cup of green tea and posing with everyone else's drinks! *Wink*

With my girls Anu and Sayantani

Well, bidding 2013 adieu would undoubtedly be sad but then again, the old has to make way for the new. In other words, how else would my b'day come? *Happy Dance*
So,while I'm busy cutting my cake, all of you have a good New Years' Eve and like I always say, never give up on Fashion. Much love,
                                       Soumi.

Jingle bells early this year!

There's a saying that once God decides to be generous,He gives you ALL. Things have changed a lot since you heard me last time. Semester is over and thankfully,so is my search for a job. Yes,by God's grace,I've been recruited by Ruchi Soya Industries as a Management Trainee,HR. So,the next time you meet me,don't forget to ask for your free packet of Nutrella!
                                                                  Life is all about unexpected turns. All this while,I was busy eyeing TCS,thanks to my grand internship experience and fate was planning something else for me. It's too early to realise whether it's been a blessing in disguise or not but I believe in moving on. Regrets don't exist in my dictionary. So,it's high time I acknowledge the good time I had in TCS,the people I met,the friend(s) I discovered who'd always be a part of my life and move on.
                                                                                       Meanwhile,not having to study for placement means
i)I'm out of my self-imposed shopping ban(In other words,I can shop if I have money)
ii)I'm free to meet all those friends who had been cursing me and my inability to get a job in the first two companies.
iii)Christmas shouldn't be about eating a lot of cake while crying within the confines of my room(yes,I had started to get that depressed)
iv)B'day should be semi-fun too.

Kick-starting my December fun with a grand pre-Christmas bonfire was my favourite host(ess) in town-the beautiful restaurateur Johanne. With my girls Debi and Anu for company,I survived quite a few things I never thought I would and managed to have a lot of fun at the same time. A lot of booze,mouthwatering food and a great ambiance,what else is required to have a great party? The courteous hostess even dropped us back home.

Jumpsuit(worn as pants),shoes-Simpark Mall,tunic-Metro Plaza,jacket,scarf,rings-New Market,bag-Emami

With the hostess and Debi

The bonfire

With Sayantani coming back tomorrow,I don't see the good times slowing down anytime soon. So,keep an eye on this space for more updates.
P.S.My favourite fashion designer,despite very much being there(with her headache)is nowhere in the picture because she,for a change,decided to play my favourite phaatugrapher.
A merry Christmas to all you lovelies in advance! <3

Layering love!

So,my favourite season is here! Time for hot chocolate,staying inside the blanket for hours,walks down Park Street,layering up with blazers,cardigans and what not,watching the sun set behind Maidan, horse rides around Victoria Memorial(even though they are too expensive for broke students like me these days),picnics,view of Red Road from cabs,romancing the afternoon sun(yeah,I mentioned them earlier but I'm obsessed with the very idea in case it's not evident),piping hot momos and tea near Exide crossing,Santa,New Year...this season spells out awesomeness for me in every possible way. The scene is a little less bright this year. I still don't have a job. My semester didn't go well. And I'm too stressed out to meet my girls(despite their grand plans)! So,don't know if there's a gloomy winter lying ahead for me or the jingle bells would ring,sooner or later. I've also taken a resolution of not shopping until I have a job. So,outfit posts in here should be infrequent,if not absent altogether.
                                                                                    Meanwhile,take a look at my layering attempt almost a month back.

Blazer,neckpiece,ring-New Market,tank top-Elle,denims,shoes-Simpark Mall,bag-Emami

Girls gotta have fun!

Whoever said that a girl is the worst enemy a girl can ever have had clearly not seen Anu , Sayantani and yours truly together. There is nothing like girl power. We get along like a house on fire and can talk about anything and everything under the sun without the slightest bit of awkwardness. More importantly,with Sayantani, I have survived something I never could with any of my previous boyfriends- a long distance relationship! Yes,it has been a while since she moved to Chennai,but a girls' evening out over Sangria,brownies and plain water(yes,the last one was my order) proved that nothing has changed in the past few months. We are still the same stupid,self-obsessed,insane,bitchy lot. And yeah,some relief it was,I tell you.
     Meanwhile,there is this slight nip in the air and I'm loving it! My favourite season is almost here! I have already started thinking layering,cosy woollens,evening walks down the brightly lit Park Street on Christmas,trips to New Market,romantic afternoon sun near the Maidan,picnics,partying,staying in bed till late and of course,my happy wala b'day! I'll be back with an embarrassing drinking story at our annual alumni meet and till then,take care,drool over Sheldon and Damon back to back every Sunday(Big Bang Theory and Vampire Diaries are aired back to back every Sunday starting from 1:30 p.m.,in case you didn't know)and most importantly,keep it stylish.

Palazzo,summer jacket,ring-B.K.Market,tank top-Elle,shoes-Simpark Mall,neckpiece-gifted,sling-vintage

Sarees galore!

So,here is the much-awaited post,people! The coming few months will be busy. And not being shortlisted for the first company coming down to campus has allowed me a breather of sorts. Besides,Reliane 3G rocks! As a result,here it is,the post I had promised almost a month back.
                                                                                         Disclaimers first.

• I have not been able to style the sarees perfectly,fashion-wise,thanks to the rain,the walking involved(yes,no matter what one wears,pujo is synonymous to walking for miles and miles)and of course the rain that played a complete spoilsport this year.
• The people I generally go out with,specially during pujo are not shutterbug happy amateurs. They detest taking pictures,specially while pandal-hopping,more so if the pictures happen to be of my clothes and accessories instead of the pandals and idols. So,I couldn't really draft outfit posts out of them.
• My digital camera died almost two years ago and since then,I have been too broke to fix it or buy a new one. Instagram helps but it can make a picture beautiful only if it's originally half-decent.
• I'm an awkward poser,specially after I have walked for at least forty minutes and my sweat is doing a very up close and personal tango with the dust on my face.
• I'm too poor to buy sarees I visualise. Roaming around shady alleys in north Kolkata looking for places that sell wholesale fabric can only take one this far.

                                                                                               All said and done,this time of the year is one of the most emotional times for me and these pictures,good or bad,are a part of who I'm. They have personal value and therefore,will always be special to me.

'Nuff said. Enjoy the pictures.

Saree-gifted,blouse-borrowed from mom,sling-B.K.Market,jhumkas,ring and cuff-New Market,silver kolhapuri(not visible in the picture)-Shreeram Arcade

Saree-Handloom House,lace blouse-Howrah Bridge,jhumkas and ring-New Market,batua-vintage,silver kolhapuri(not visible in the picture)-Shreeram Arcade

Saree-New Market,brocade blouse-Howrah Bridge,neckpiece and ring-custom-made by local jewellery store,bindi-roadside shop near Lindsay Street,golden kolhapuri(not visible in the picture)-Shreeram Arcade 

Picture Credits-Anu,Moumita and baba

And there is finally a nip in the air! I'm loving it! Looks like my favourite Winter will be here in no time! Even though I will have a lot up my sleeves this Winter,I'm never too busy to layer  and pose every once in a while. Meanwhile,you people stay happy,eat healthy and most importantly,keep it stylish. Till the next post,
                                                                                                                                                            love,
                                                                                                                                                         Soumi

Pastel love with neon pop

Floral pants,shirt,lace booties,sling-B.K.Market,ring-gifted,cuff-New Market

Picture Credits-Anu

Sorry for the unexplained absence on the blog-o-sphere. I'm still busy mourning Durga Pujo-the biggest and grandest festival ever,at least for us Bongs. The posts with all my saree pictures(even though they are not really perfect fashionwise,thanks to the incessant rains and the look my mom tends to give me whenever I try to experiment with traditional wear)are rotting in others' cameras. I'm planning to drive them crazy until they mail me all the pictures(cons of not owning a DSLR) and then I'll be back with an elaborate post,to hell with placement interviews and all.
                                         Meanwhile,this was the b'day party of a friend I had attended roughly a week before Pujo. If you remember my plans to wear my one and only pair of floral pants to death,you shouldn't really be surprised. Even though I'm still very much the neon bitch,I'm occasionally quite liking soft pastels. That explains the oh-so-romantic shirt(nothing like heart prints to mend a broken heart)with the very 'in' dressy collars. Yes,people. In case you haven't noticed yet,details of every possible kind are on the collars this season. The lace booties are a new addition to my shoes closet too(RIP,old yellow brogues *Tears and sobs*). And last but not the least,the ring is a gift from Mumbai I'm so in love with! I've practically been wearing it every other day since it came into my possession.
                                                                                        The news of the broken heart is out everywhere but this is one of the rarest of times when a breakup has been this pleasant-giving way to faded yet clear memories,distant enough to bring normalcy back to my life and dear enough to make me smile every once in a while. Guess I'm growing up after all. And the fact that we have been mature enough to remain friends has helped too. To be honest,I quite like myself being single-rid of the burden of trust,love and expectations to carry,free to live in the moment like I almost always have,loving visuals instead of the persons attached with them or maybe both. And a very,very special and dear friend tells me that our heart is expandable. So,no matter how many people come,anchor inside and leave their remnants there, we are never stripped off our capability to fall in love,again and again.

I wandered the streets all night,
if only I knew
all I'd have to look for
is a piece of paper
with two magic words written on it-
LET GO...

Four Seasons Wines Curtain Raiser- dinner with Abhay Kewadkar

Seven cities and ninety restaurants over three weeks. Does sound like madness,right? That's exactly what Four Seasons planned to do with their new plan. Quite an ambitious project,goes without saying.But we didn't really have a very clear idea about the grandiose of the project until we reached The Park on the D day. Saffron was the chosen venue for the dinner with Abhay Kewadkar,famously known as the father of Indian Wine who also happens to be the director of Four Seasons Wines.

                                                              Food and Wine, as we all know, go hand in hand but in stead of the usual "you can't have wine without food", Abhay chooses to believe that one can't(shouldn't?)have food without wine, as he told us before dinner. And he has decided to dedicate his life towards the awareness of the fact that Indian Wine is really at par with its European counterparts. India, as a country might have started out late but it's up there. Four Seasons is a living example of this. Launched four years back, it's already the second most popular wine in India and a growing favourite with the wine drinkers abroad too.

                  If wine is there, can the "what food to pair with what wine" debate be far behind? The diners muttered their bits and pieces of wine knowledge-Sauvignon blanc is sweet and spicy at the same time, Shiraz goes well with spicy cuisine, red wine should be paired with red meat and white wine with white meat and of course, the myth that wine doesn't go well with Indian food. Abhay patiently answered all the queries while we filled ourselves with mouth-watering appetisers like the vegetable kakori kebab, chicken tikka kebab and an out-of-the-world kebab prepared with wait-till-you-hear-it green peas! Free flowing wine and the amazing hospitality of The Park staff made sure we were quite filled(and drunk) before the dinner even arrived. But a super yummy spread comprising naan, corn pulao, tandoori roti, dal makhni, chicken and mutton gravies, dum aloo stuffed with paneer,paneer with vegetables in a coriander gravy, crisp vegetable salad, raita,flourless chocolate cake and a lot more is difficult to ignore. As my grandmom used to say,the tummy is always flexible. I found the piece of wisdom to be true that night.The third helping of the flourless cake- warm and gooey with chocolate oozing out of it DID ruin my shirt but it was so worth it!

           Partnered with Poshvine, the events will be on from 28th August to 3rd September, tentatively . Some of the outlets chosen are Spaghetti Kitchen,Benjarong,Kalash-HHI,Tangerine,KK's Fusion,Oberoi,The Wall,D'Sovrani and Charnock City.I sure as hell am going to attend these. Stay tuned for all the details.

                                                                           And,a thought I'd like to leave you all with-did you know that an ordinary European consumes 50 litres of wine per year on an average? You didn't,right? Akshay has reasons to believe that India isn't far behind. Let's prove to the world that we are better than a glass of whiskey or rum with our good ol' chanachur.

 

And now, coming to my outfit, we all know florals have been a rage for a while. I'm not very girlie when it comes to my dressing sense. So,I took my time to adapt to the floral trend. But once I got into the groove,there was no stopping me.

Floral pants,satchel,brogues-B.K.Market,shirt,rings-New Market,bow tie-Howrah Bridge

The evening all our dreams looked real...

We walked by the sea,
hand in hand,
a sudden breeze messed my hair up
and you said something about how beautiful I was.

We walked by the dusty road,
hand in hand,
the cars sped past us honking like the giants they are
but we were too drunk with love to notice.

Would you remember the conversations that came to a sudden halt
the moment our eyes met?
Would you remember my soft drunken ramblings throughout the night?
Would you remember how stupidly we reached out for each other under the tables
only to break into nervous giggles?
Would you remember all these long after I'm buried under the cloak of time as one more broken heart?

Constraints are all we have,you say.
You are probably right.
Our unfinished sand castles by the beach will probably never be finished.
The dreamy laughter in the early hours will probably always be a dream.
But,until the demons wake up with their ugly heads,
I'll always remember the evening full of hopes,
slowly creeping into a surreal night.

Jeggings,peplum,satchel,loafers-B.K.Market,ring and neckpiece-New Market

One more exhibition comes calling for its monsoon leg!

Exhibitions in and around Kolkata are things that we blogging community try not to miss. This time it was the monsoon leg of High Street Via Moda at Shisha. The formal invitation came a tad late even though friend and fellow blogger Uparna had already given me a headstart,thanks to her stall in there. Anu and Shreya offered to accompany me and we were all geared to check out the overpriced collection with not a single penny in our pocket(it might have something to do with the fact that Shreya shopped till she dropped at West Side downstairs).
                        The collection,a little too blingy for my taste,was elaborate and varied though. We browsed through the stalls in a lightening speed - lured by the promise of chaats and aloo tikkis once we were out(which was fulfilled to the hilt). My choice of attire for the evening was a maxi dress worn as a skirt with a black blouse and pink cardigan. The neon green shoes are a new possession and I was close to tears when one stupid lady raped them in the metro and the bow came out in the morning. One pack of Fevikwik took care of the crisis at the moment and I was good to go. Let the pictures do all the talking-

Maxi dress(worn as a skirt),top,cardigan,bag-B.K.Market,ring and neckpiece-New Market,shoes-Simpark Mall

On a different note,life has never been more poignant yet beautiful. Love,in no matter what form,is magical when it happens. It makes you feel more alive,more meaningful and worth living for. And you feel blessed of course. I hate college these days. After such a close interaction with mature working professionals during my internship,gossips in college seem so childish and pointless! I find it difficult to sit through the drab classes and miss the view of rain soaked Rajarhat from my cubicle. But,life must move on. And so will I. Hopefully. Till then,take care and spread the love.