Another year, nothing more, nothing less...

As I stared into the midnight sky lit with the crackers from New Year's Eve, I couldn't help suppressing a chuckle. People making merry, watching popular actors dance and crack jokes in the idiot box, drinking and passing out in shabby hostels... celebrating is a diverse exercise indeed. What would remain unchanged on the very same day after a year is the desperate attempt to leave the failures of the past year behind and pretend, even if for a few days that everything would be all right in the coming year.

I, for one, belong to a different school. The burden of things that should have been completed in the year gone by weighs me down every time. The oh-so-familiar sensing of mistakes that would be repeated once more scares me. And the sheer boredom of the year ahead tires me even before the year has actually begun. And, just like my all time favourite poet Plath, I too keep wondering then,"is there no way out of the mind?"

Kurta - Colaba Causeway, ripped denims - Jabong(and DIYed by my love Debi), rings and earrings - New Market, silver kolhapuri - Shreeram Arcade, bindi - mom's, lipstick - Wicked by Colorbar

On a more cheerful note, I turned 26 and realised that I quite like the idea of slowly turning into a lonely old lady with an opinion. In order to celebrate ageing, I chose to go ethnic with this kurta I had bought during one of my random Colaba trips and never wore later. With age, the effort associated with accessorising is also proving to be tiresome. Hence, I go minimal on most of the occasions these days. Having no winter here in Mumbai doesn't help the layering lover in me though.

How did you usher in 2016? Lonely and unceremonious like me or grand and blurry?

Pushing yourself too far?

Sorry for the absence on ze blog, people! After almost a month long sickness and a week long stay in the hospital, I'm slowly getting back to normal life. Well-wishers everywhere have been reproaching me for pushing myself too far, for continuing with my grilling schedule despite being very unwell. And that's when it struck me. We, the so called independent women today, often struggle with striking a balance between being tough and neglecting oneself. Managing everything from household chores to working for at least nine hours to sweating it out in the gym on my own taught me valuable lessons. It taught me to value my health. It taught me to be grateful for being strong enough to take care of myself. It made me nostalgic for the home-cooked meals I had grown up with, the smell of turmeric-cumin-coriander wafting from the aanchal of my mom's saree.
                                                                                                                Speaking of saree, I wore this beauty by Howrah Bridge for the grand wedding of the designer herself. The royal colours, the traditional atpoure drape, the heavy jewellery...everything added up to the grandeur of the evening otherwise known as my bestie's wedding. Those five days of eating like a starving soul, dancing like a drunkard on loose and crazy, crazy fun ensured I survive the coming dull months(thanks to my empty pocket)without a complaint.

Saree, blouse- Howrah Bridge, earrings, hand chain, bangles- Vardaan Market,bindi- local shop, lipstick- Passionate by Colorbar, wedges(not in picture)- Metro Plaza

With the groom

And with my favourite bride under the sun

Summer is officially here! So are the happy florals, pastels, shorts, maxis, evening breeze and delightful fruity concoctions. Go indulge into a few poolside parties flaunting your skimpy shorts or flowy maxis depending on your preference while I nurse myself back to health and hope to start working out soon. Till then, take care and like I always say, keep it stylish.

Saree Saga '14- Part-II

The number of hits on the first saree post of this Pujo was motivation enough to write down the second post so soon. Since I'm done lecturing(and boring) you on the hollow side of our Pujo celebration these days(I'm pretty sure I pissed off quite a few in the process), I decided to make it up to those angry souls in this post and talk about the not-so-shallow side of those very means of celebration.
                 First comes the attire. Yes, no one would penalize you for roaming around in your pajamas during Pujo but draping the beautiful nine yard puts you in the right mood like nothing else. Like they say, one has to look the part before trying to act it. Besides, it's one of the best ways to get to know the rich heritage of our country. There are so many beautiful varieties hiding in quaint little villages in every state and the story behind each Fulia taant or Murshidabad silk saree is fascinating, to say the least!
       And then comes the food. Kolkata is a city well known for its roadside delicacies but the frenzy over every jhaal muri-bhelpuri-phuchka-egg roll-biryani-candy floss stall during these four days is unbelievable! And from Ichaapur to Italy, nothing brings a family together like sharing good food. I never watch what I eat during Pujo but if you are even more health-conscious than I'm, worry not. There's something or the other for everyone in the grand Pujo feast. There are a lot of healthy options too like ghugni, bhelpuri, the Ashtami bhog khichudi and labra, to name a few.
                                                                                                                            And now the famous pandal hopping that we Kolkatans can't seem to imagine life without and people from other cities find difficult to understand. It's beyond the understanding of all my friends from other cities what pleasure one can get out of walking for miles and sweating while wearing heavy make-up and gaudy clothes. Well, for starters, it burns at least half of the extra calories that you have gained, thanks to all the eating! And Kolkata is the only city where you get to see everyone from a CEO to a domestic help dressing up in their best attire and walking down the same street to visit the same pandals. Ever seen a more natural example of equality?

Panchami
Saree- mom's, blouse- bought from local shop due to emergency, earring- B.K.Market, bindi- local shop, lipstick- MAT4 Bold Matte by Maybelline

Saptami

Saree- mom's, blouse-Howrah Bridge, rings- New Market, chappal- Shreeram Arcade, earring- B.K.Market, bindi- local shop, lipstick- MAT4 Bold Matte by Maybelline

Coming to the outfits, since I had no time to shop this Pujo, I had to wear mostly my mom's sarees. I'm not much of a taant person and find it difficult to manage but surprisingly, I was very comfortable wearing them this year. Guess age is catching up after all. Also,  if you drape it well, it's pretty flattering for almost all body types.
    One more saree post and then I'd move on to the most eventful trip of my entire life! Till then, take care and 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.

Too mushy to love

For the people of our generation,V day seems to be one of the most important occasions! I,for one,have never been a huge fan of it.I'm not opposed to the idea of celebrating love but the way it's been commercialized and reduced to a joke saddens me.Gone are the days when love used to be about writing a heartfelt letter.Now it's strictly business.Now it's a cut-throat competition among peers to show your 'love' in the most expensive,innovative,standout way.What the heck?I'd rather call it showing off.
                                                                                                                     Back in my early teenage,I used to be pretty excited about V day.I spent most of my school life dating someone or the other(Yes,I dated throughout the school and remained single in these three years in college). When I was thirteen,V day meant going to a telephone booth and calling him.When I was fifteen,V day meant making a card for him and sending it through messengers.When I was eighteen,V day meant saving money for buying his favorite deo or after shave lotion.But mostly,it was about doing something but never getting anything in return.I wasn't even lucky enough to see them make an effort.My second boyfriend got me a bouquet with dried out flowers because he got to know from my friends that I was going to get him his favorite deo and a card double the size of his chest.
                                               I used to be really hurt back then.All my friends used to get cards,flowers(like,real flowers),chocolates,personalized coffee mugs from their boyfriends and I was the only one,neglected and taken for granted.But when I finally started growing up,I realized what a favor they had done me.They showed me the reality in stead of allowing me to get lost into a make-believe world.Because as soon as the mascara wears off,no one gives a rat's ass about your eyes,lips and heart.Over the years,I not only forgave them,I kind of grew fond of them,in my own sick way.
                                                                                                    Please don't think this is the space a hopelessly single twenty two year old uses to pour all her frustrations out.I DO love love,just not the way we've got used to celebrating it.I DO believe in making the loved one feel special,just not the way the ad gurus advise us to.I couldn't hate the Hindutwavadis bullying couples celebrating V day more! But at the same time,if I ever find true love,I won't like to spend our days looking at red cushions that say,'I love you more than anything in the world.'

I've been wearing a lot of red lately.It was tough to find pictures with no red popping out.You've seen the dhoti pant before.I'm gonna wear it a lot more,so,you better get used to it.The clutch was a gift from my uncle.I always loved the shade of green but since I carry the whole world in my bag,I hardly got a chance to flaunt it somewhere.The kolhapuris are an old favorite too.I wore the bindi to make the whole look more feminine.
On a parting note,
I'll be gone,
long before I cease to matter,
still early enough to make the world ponder over the choices I made.