Inspiration - Muse-ment...

Oh, happiness is not what I seek.
Give me the saddening Summer creak.
And the Autumn sand.
Also, the contraband
of wars going on inside
where despite my best efforts
the devil wins bona fide.

When I pass by
your place while
being on the sly;
for me, shed a tear
or two as I welcome
like a tired child, my fear
and look it in its eye,
resigned yet calm,
kissing our dreams goodbye.


After almost a year long phase of being able to imagine only in Bengali, inspiration happened quite by chance. Dreaming, imagining and writing only in Bengali was extremely satisfying but among other things, Bengalis are also famous for being "truly bilingual". As one of my favourite authors Kunal Basu puts it, "...Because we, the Bengali intelligentsia...are this rare species on earth that is truly bilingual...Bilingualism doesn't mean being able to read street signs or being able to read newspapers in two languages. It means having two streams flow inside our consciousness. And being able to dip into one stream without abandoning the other. The educated Bengali actually had their toes dipped in both these streams. They read Samar Sen with a passion which was no less than the passion with which they read Sylvia Plath." So, being the true Bengali that I'm, not being able to pen down my thoughts in a few coherent English lines was painful and I was elated when inspiration came in the most unusual form - a few lines scribbled by fellow blogger Kshipra! And there it goes! My creative block(in English)coming to a pleasant end. And in order to celebrate it, I took the new cape out for a spin. Mixing prints is an absolute personal favourite while monochrome and stripes happen to be my ultimate solution to any fashion crisis. And that's how this outfit was born.

Shorts- B.K.Market, shirt- Colaba Causeway, cape- Myntra, brogues- Simpark Mall, lipstick- MAT4 Bold Matte by Maybelline

I'll be back with my Summer staple- maxis and a painful journey I keep fantasising about. Till then, take care and like I always say, keep it stylish.

Winter Lookbook-2015

Winter happens to be my favourite season for more reasons than one. And for a layering lover like me, it's the ideal time to dress up. Even though I haven't been my dressy best this Winter, thanks to the work pressure and lack of occasions to dress up for, the collaboration with ebay made me go through my archive and these are the three Winter outfits from 2014 I chose for the Lookbook-
                                                     Girls' Day Out

Sheer shirt- Nuon, black peplum- thrifted, floral pants- B.K.Market, Jacket- Talking Threads, Metro Plaza, oxfords- Simpark Mall, beanie- local market in Gangtok, aviators and stacked up bracelets- borrowed from Anu, lipstick- Passionate by Colorbar
Picture Credits- Anu

I wore this outfit on a day trip to north Sikkim with two of my best friends. The abundance of grey and black in this outfit has been balanced with the happy pink and I chose to layer with my accessories too, thank God for friends who don't believe in travelling light. *Wink* This outfit is appropriate for a day look when the mercury has dipped significantly.

                                                     L(o)unge Forward

Palazzo, denim button down and metallic ring- borrowed from Anu, lace booties- B.K.Market, lipstick- Orange Punch by Colorbar
Picture Credits- Anu

This outfit is perfect for one of those less chilly evenings you want to go clubbing. The warm palazzos and the button down with a tank thrown inside take care of the nip in the air. The metallic ring gives you the edge and the happy yellow well, makes you happy!

                                                  All That Glitters Is Gold

Skirt, belt, pumps- B.K.Market, striped shirt, midi rings- Colaba, bag, red jacket, tights- New Market, pearl earrings- Chandrani Pearls, lipstick- MAT4 Bold Matte by Maybelline

This look is for your glam evening in Winter. I've been digging monochrome and metallic hues for quite some time now. Stripes happen to be my another favourite. The striped shirt added a little drama to the otherwise boring black skirt-shirt-tights look and the hint of gold in the midi rings and the pumps balanced it perfectly. A glam evening is synonymous with red lips.  But you could go adventurous with oxblood lips too.

2015 promises to be an exciting year for ze blog with a lot of travelling and collaborations coming up. Meanwhile, go take a look at the Fashion Blog of ebay because I can't seem to have enough of it! Also, the new year collection is live on ebay! Go shop to your heart's content before someone else buys that piece that you have been eyeing forever on a super discounted price! I'll be back with Indore Diaries and more. Till then, take care and like I always say, keep it stylish.

Saree Saga '14- Part-I

Whoever said that celebration cannot overshadow the cause behind it should come and spend Durga Pujo in our city of joy. What must have started out as a solemn week of celebrating the victory of the Good over the Evil has turned out to be the ugliest form of commercialization these days. For most of my non-Bengali friends, this festival is synonymous to wearing sarees, visiting themed pandals, gorging on luchi-kosha mangsho-egg rolls-phuchka and junk of every other kind and of course, the customary bird-watching at Maddox Square. To be honest, my Pujo schedule doesn't deviate much from what I just stated but at times, I kind of miss those innocent days when Durga Pujo used to be about looking out of the windows of our classroom and getting lost into the 'shiuli' and 'kaash' flowers outside or squinting while trying to size up the clouds that looked like dispersed cotton balls. Growing up in a middle class family meant counting every hundred bucks and still running short of accessories to go with my new clothes. Themed pandals were very much in existence but I was lucky enough to experience the charm of traditional Pujos with 'ek chaala thhakur' and the beats of 'dhaak' during my childhood. But with 'shaarod shomman' s and packaged Pujo tours ending at Shobhabazaar Raaj-baari, we didn't even realize when the pure spirit of Pujo got lost in the midst of the glamorization.

                     But then, lamenting over the past would bring us nothing and I personally believe in moving on with the changing times. So, here I am- giving a tribute to our good ol' saree in my own way! I was supposed to be the proud owner of this saree by Howrah Bridge long back but somehow, it got delayed. But, as they say, better late than never! I've never felt sexier in a saree! And that's why I thought THE saree deserves to be the opening batsman in the saree series I've planned to do on ze blog. Enjoy the pictures while I go back to gorging on the bijoya sweets.

Saree, blouse- Howrah Bridge, earrings- New Market, ring, jeggings- B.K.Market, shoes- Metro Plaza, bindi- local shop, lipstick- MAT4 Bold Matte by Maybelline

Picture Credits-Debi( who has also been sweet enough to feature me on her blog; click on the link and read the post if you haven't already!)

P.S. This was my Navami/Dashami outfit. Stay tuned for more Pujo outfits and details of an awesome hill trip coming up! Till then, shubho bijoya to all of you and like I always say, keep it stylish.

Crossroads...

You know those over-hyped, cheesy yet somewhat significant junctures of your life that you can never be prepared for? Like going to school, starting college, losing your virginity,getting started with alcohol, getting married, having a baby et cetera? Well,putting an end to one's academic career(read leaving college)is one of those too.You think it'd be some grand affair with graduation cloaks, recalling funny stories about each other and shedding tears about not being able to re-live those days again, promising to stay in touch no matter what and all but unless you are some leader in your batch being equally popular among students and teachers, always organising cool events, helping your friends out with the most impressive job in your pocket, it's another one of those days when you don't feel like dragging your ass all the way back to that pathetic campus where you have been bullied or discriminated against, yawning through another set of lectures from the faculties you so hate from the bottom of your heart and finally getting drunk with a bunch of acquaintances over how this institute has failed you and your dreams. And I needn't turn up at my farewell to know that.
                                   As far as I'm concerned, mediocrity has always been my middle name. I'm not pretty, I'm not extraordinarily ugly either.I never topped my class but never came last either. I'm nowhere close to having my dream job but I DO have something to fall back on for psychological comfort(yeah, I don't think I'd be any less broke or dissatisfied if I go to Mumbai for this job but I couldn't survive the pressure
of seeing others get placed and scoring a zero for a week, let alone so many months),my love story would never go down in history but it's definitely my favourite.
                                                                          Given all these grand examples, it's a no brainer that I was never any teacher's favourite anywhere. I didn't make friends who'd die for me either. Basically, had I not been there in the class,people won't have missed much. I was pretty much invisible.So,I'm having a really hard time coming up with one good reason for showing up at the stupid campus one last time where no one cares much about me and the feeling is very mutual. The thought of pretending to be having a good time while boredom gets the better of me just doesn't sound appealing. And even though I shared a very personal bond with my students during my short stint as a private tutor, none of the teachers in my schools or colleges ever inspired me enough to delve deeper into the subjects they were teaching. Besides, my career has suffered a lot at different times for not sharing a personal equation with any of my teachers.
                                                                                                                      But,at the same time,unlike many of my other friends,I'm not angry at anyone. I have studied Leader-Member Exchange Theory and believe in it wholeheartedly. I find it very normal to accept that everyone would have a favourite and I calmly accept this fact also that I'm no one's favourite. It doesn't bother me at all. I'm thankful to God for making me normal,allowing me to have a normal life,giving me results worth at least thirty percent of my hard work and blessing me with this beautiful heart that stretches like rubber and engulfs the person I love once I love them. I'm thankful to God for making me sensitive enough to feel every ecstasy, failure, disappointment, hatred, heartbreak, passion and still not be overwhelmed by it(okay,maybe I should have excluded the heartbreak part but never mind). Moving to an alien city with an unimpressive job,leaving my family,friends and the love of my life behind,scares me beyond imagination and I'll try to fight it for as long as possible. But when I sense the end,I'll just let go and surrender to fate completely. The tears won't stop but there'd be no regret.
                                                   Speaking of regrets,poila boishakh(The Bengali New Year)is known to be a family affair among us Bengalis and my family being one of those where no one seems to be agreeing with anyone else over anything,it has always been a quiet day at home having bhetki paturi(bhetki fish steamed with mustard paste), chingri shorshey(mustard prawn) or mangsher jhol(mutton curry) for lunch.My parents don't see any logic in going out to fancy Bengali restaurants and have Bengali delicacies that are no more cooked at Bengali households and I've always regretted spending an uneventful poila boishakh. But with my bunch of girls making plans on that very day, it was anything but quiet this year. We met up at this quaint little place called Cafela near Rashbehari and boy, did we have a scandalous evening! The pictures are more than a month old but you can still see the sparkle in my eyes, right?

Anarkali gone wrong and worn as a maxi dress-tailor-made from Gariahat Market(not from my regular tailor,duh!), shoes, pouch- Simpark Mall, denim waistcoat- New Market, rings- B.K.Market and New Market, lipstick- Maybelline Bold Matte MAT 4

Picture Courtesy- Anu

P.S. I'm almost getting over multicolored outfits and I have to admit that Anamika Khanna hating them has helped accelerate my decision. So, expect a lot of monochrome and tone-on-tone on ze blog in the coming posts. Till then, take care and keep it stylish.

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