Womanhood means so many different things, and one of the stories from my amar chitra katha days, is the story of Savitri. I love how she calls Yama (the god of death), her friend, because she has walked more than 3 steps with him and then outwits him into giving back her husband’s life by asking for children. How can I have children if my husband is no more? she asks when he grants her the boon. Yama, outwitted yet gracious, grants her husband’s life, and she manages to snatch life from death. June 2nd was Vat Savitri day, celebrated by married women praying for their husband’s well being, by tying threads around the Vat (banyan) tree. I and my friends decided to celebrate the spirit of Savitri, by wearing a saree to work.

I chose a green silk saree adorned by my mother’s hand-embroidered bold yellow flowers. She had presented me with this labour of love when I was pregnant with my 1st child. A saree very dear to me for all of the emotions and attachments tied to it. My mother’s name is also Savitri.