Day 32. Ma Jhulan Bhattacharya has been giving me a sari every anniversary. Each time a different kind. Usually she tries to surprise me but this was one year that I went with her. My sister-in-law Sarmistha had also come with us. This is the first sari I spotted in the shop window of the Manipuri emporium and it was love at first sight. But the shop assistant was reluctant to bring it down and tried showing me the ones on the shelves. But my heart was set on this one. The only dilemma was that I felt it was a bit beyond the budget. So when Ma suggested that we take a look at the other shops as well, I agreed. But when you are in love, your heart only yearns for that one love, no one or nothing else can take its place. So after some hunting around we went back to the shop, convinced the shop assistant to bring down the sari and returned home smiling as bright as the colours of the six yards. What I love about this sari is that the colours are so happy and bright and yet soothing. The blouse piece was picked up from Khadi.
I wore the sari for the first time on the anniversary after it was bought. It was our first anniversary after shifting to our new home and we went out for lunch to Hush.
The neckpiece was bought much later but happens to match perfectly. Ma and I had gone shopping with my uncle and aunt for my cousin’s wedding. We were to meet in front of Bhojraj and we reached early. I spotted a woman selling neckpieces on the footpath, not the usual hawkers and her ware was different too. On chatting with her I learnt she had cone from Gujarat. I bought two pieces from her, this and a mauve one. They were a steal. The bangles are glass, picked up fromC City Centre on one of my few visits there. I had bought these in several colours and this particular one was bought to match a salwar kameez in the same colour scheme that I was wearing that day. The earrings are from Shopper’s Stop and the ceramic jura pin (belonging to Sarmistha) is from Sasha. A special sari on a special occasion… #100sareepact #sareedate… Nine women talking nineteen to the dozen, spinning nine yarns over six yards and so much more. An afternoon to remember.