I am gonna go back and forth to show the journey from the beginning and the end. Perhaps you would see the joy it brought successively and the change in persona, the confidence, the direction the pact gave me. This is my 100/100 post. Finally the year is over but I kept this post for after New Year’s coz for me the magic of sarees will go on. Sarees will go on.

If globally, diamonds are a girl’s best friends, to quite an extent for an Indian woman, sarees are her best friends. We grow up trying on our mom’s dupattas as sarees, we first felt all grown up when we tentatively wore a saree for a school farewell, pretty much our prom night. They give us a svelte silhouette when we have the curves and they even help us tide over those in-between years when everything is not perfect as our bodies change, courting motherhood, corporate ennui, boredom or illness. They still bring out the best in us. They help us age gracefully.

For me beyond the obviously pretty party and wedding sarees, they have been a form of power dressing at work. Wear a business suit/skirt/trouser in you may be mistaken for a greenhorn or a girl(people say I look younger than my age!) but yes, wear a saree and you are a woman and taken seriously. It adds a certain grace and gravitas. In all the different jobs I have been into and roles I have played, sarees have given me a distinct identity. My sarees have precariously meandered through many a corporate battle and come out winners. This past year the pact almost covertly helped me make right career and personal decisions. It was all about being true to your DNA, a coming back to your roots. Also knowing who the constant cheerleaders are in your lifeand rejecting, ignoring the detractors, naysayers, dampsquibbers and bossy people! Sarees have insidiously brought me closer to people who matter and track the no-go’s. This is a current favourite, a versatile black georgette with lovely muted gold I picked in Bangalore that can be worn to a party or office accessorised appropriately. This city is where it all began. So this last swan song for this beautiful city!