22/100. A cream, brick-red and black Maheshwari was what I chose to wear to work today. With its bright diamond motifs and golden zari accents, it seems too festive for office wear. But, I was actually in a celebratory mood. And it had to do with the pact.

You see, from Day 20 – saree number 17 in office – people had stopped asking me what the special occasion was. Me wearing a saree to work was now as much of an everyday affair as wearing a tee and jeans. And that is cause for celebration, isn’t it?

I wanted a photograph at my desk and my ever-obliging young colleague was trying her best to get a decent one when one by one, the other young girls lined up to watch me getting photographed. And to voice their own ideas about which direction I should look and how I should hold my mug/pen/book. About 15 very self-conscious photographs later, one of them had the bright idea of taking me to our tiny office backyard which is bordered by lush plants.

The green, as usual, wrought its calming magic on me. And my colleague finally managed to click a ‘relaxed’ photograph.

It is lovely how just wearing a saree and wanting my photograph taken became a mini-bonding session at work. While the men did give us bewildered, and occasionally condescending, looks, this did enthuse some of the women to think of wearing sarees to office.

As for me, I need to go set out my saree for tomorrow!