Never good at good bye...

There's a saying called kupamanduk or kuo-r bang in Bengali that means 'frog in a well.' Being born and brought up in one of the most charming cities in the entire world meant becoming a frog in a well in some sense or the other.I never left the city till a certain age and all my favourites started and ended in the city-my favourite phuchka or dosa or rolls or mishti or noodles or tandoori chicken, my favourite corner to read or think or take a long walk, my favourite place for second hand books, mojris, sarees, dress materials, thrifted stuff, accessories and what not. My city has always provided me with everything I have ever wanted(and more) and therefore, I never felt the need to leave this city.
     But life has a way of throwing us off the turf. During my orientation programme, I was required to travel to various locations and among the three locations that I had visited, if there was one place that I hated with a passion, it was Indore. The very vibe of the city depressed me, I hated the food, I had difficulties understanding their dialect, the work culture in the Indore office irritated me to no end and the list goes on. But ironically, I was chosen to operate out of the Indore office for two years by the Management. Given that the fellow Management Trainees were going to places like Haldia, Gandhidham, Mangalore and Patalganga, I was in pretty much the best possible location though. Besides, I don't like coming across as an inflexible person at work. So, there I was- packing my bags and leaving within three days of being back from Haldia.
                                                                                         The hardest part about leaving is having to say good bye. I'm bad at it. My tear glands betray me and no matter how much I swear not to cry, my voice chokes. I'm not a much-loved person but the few people I care for mean the world to me and vice versa. So, this time also, no matter where it took place, I could barely speak, my eyes welled up and before long, I knew I was getting ugly. But it didn't matter because the moment itself was beautiful and this beauty was beyond words. And then it ended. I left the city that meant everything to me and arrived in a new city where I knew no one. Pleasantries were exchanged, strangers were befriended and life moved on.

Sheer maxi skirt, crop top, ring- B.K.Market, cuff- New Market, neckpiece- Lindsay Street, gladiators- Shreeram Arcade lipstick- Orange Punch by Colorbar, nail paints- Pink Champagne by Maybelline

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.

Boredom of Sanity

And just like that, the first month of 2014 is gone. I have had a more or less normal month. I have full attendance in college, I haven't missed gym or morning newspaper on a single day, I have cooked myself quite a few edible meals and of course, I have successfully submitted my project. I have also started writing quite a bit in Bengali and there's something very, very comforting about expressing oneself in their mother tongue. It not only liberates the closeted soul but also makes one see themselves more clearly. I'd always be indebted to  the one who got me into it. I was scared at first, I'd admit but owning up to the fear has been worth it. Apart from that, this absolute stillness in my life drives me crazy at times. There is no ripple, no chaos, no purpose. For someone as eccentric as yours truly, it's not the best way to let her creative juices flowing. In my profession, public image goes a long way and I have realised it the hard way. I'm still not puritan enough to untag myself from pictures that have me posing with a drink in my hand but I have definitely started editing my public persona. It's not an exercise I have been entirely fond of but it has worked for me. It hasn't given me peace of mind but it has definitely helped me fake it. There are still moments when I wake up with a few droplet of tears or I want to scream at the silence of the cold night or I want to run away to the horizon where the sun meets the ground and never come back but mostly, I'm older and wiser.
                                                                                                                                            I haven't had a very good feeling about 2014 and it hasn't disappointed me. Things haven't really gone well on the personal front and they show no signs of improving. The brighter part is, the halogen lights still fill me up with unfathomable pain and unbearable hope at the same time. I still dream every night. I still have a few beliefs to hold on to and no matter how difficult life gets, I don't see them dying very soon. I don't flinch my eyes at flickering bulbs. And I can still walk an extra mile for the sake of my dreams.
                                                                                                                 I had promised you the Adrenalize outfit post long back. The chill had put me in hibernating mode but now that the chill looks all set to leave with Saraswati Pujo coming up, it's time to get those pictures out of the archive and put them up on ze blog!

Maxi dress-Emami,blazer-tailor-made,ring-New Market,pearl earring and bracelet,pink and orange bracelet-gifted,sling-B.K.Market,gladiator-Metro Plaza

Because of lack of planning, Kolkata Literary Meet couldn't happen but I should be able to visit Book Fair if things don't go horribly wrong. So, will be back with the musings of the bookworm. Till then, take care and keep it stylish.
                    Love,
                    Soumi

STRAPPY LOVE

I've always been a big fan of straps.I love them everywhere,in any form-the noodle straps,the ankle straps,I love them all!But if I've to bring it down to my current crush,I guess I've to give it to my 'boyfriend of two years' gladiators.I spotted them on a fashion show updates on a TV channel and have been completely smitten by this one ever since.I looked in every nook and corner of Kolkata streets but never found one till 23rd nov,2009.Yes,people,that's the day I got my first pair of gladiators.It cost me something around 350 bucks and trust me,it was shit!A crappy black pair with straps that looked like buckteeth.But I couldn't be happier.I started sporting them everywhere.I got a 'not-so-uniform' tan throughout my legs,thanks to wearing capris and cropped denims 24x7.Over years,I've moved on to classier(and costlier) pairs but the love has been all the same.So,when I went to watch 'Pirates 4' a few weeks before and saw my friend Sananda wearing this fab pair which she claims to have got for 170 bucks(though I didn't trust her fully,I told her I'd trust her the day she gets me one as good as hers for 170 bucks),I thought it was time to come clean about my love affair with gladiators.And what better place than here?Fashion pundits say that you shouldn't wear gladiators if your feet're too wide.It makes them look wider which isn't flattering at all but who cares?I had told you many times before that my blog isn't about rules.It's about affordable,feel-good fashion.So,why bother?