31/100. My Thirties in the pact is going to be a lot of reminiscing about my thirties as I spent them. So, first off, a saree that speaks of the five years of my thirties I spent working for a company that has been a synonym for big business for generations.

I speak of the Birlas. More specifically, the B.K Birla group. Even more specifically, how they went about taking care of those who worked for them.

It will not be wrong to say that the set-up was a little feudal – the basis of management was unquestioning loyalty. Rather, unquestioning agreement. While this had its obvious frustrations, there was a flip side to this. The duty and sense of responsibility the company felt for those who were its own. Which went far beyond good HR practices and were acts of kindness and generosity by those who knew they were privileged. Almost a kind of noblesse oblige – if you will.

Case in point – me. Less than a year after I joined, I became pregnant. And four months later, I was told by the doctor that it was a high-risk pregnancy and that I would have to be on complete bed-rest till delivery. At stake was the life of my unborn child as well as my own.

Leave was granted without any reservations. And it was granted with 30 percent pay. This was not a work-from-home situation – it was leave. There’s not much you can accomplish anyway if you are just supposed to be lying on your left side for the entire day – and with severe restrictions on phone use as well…

So there I was, lying on my side, drawing 30 percent of my salary. A few drafts of letters, pamphlets, brochures, some phone calls were all I could manage. Yet, I received my full maternity benefits, without a murmur. And when my son was born, he received a gift from ma’am – a gold and diamond kurta button set… And all I could do was join work three weeks earlier than is usual…

This saree was an ‘Uniform’ saree – every Spectrum year, about 50 of us wore the same saree/suit on the two days of Spectrum – an extravaganza that involves 7000 students from three schools and months of rehearsals, late nights and what-have-you. It is a bright yellow chiffon sprigged with dark brown and also has random splashes of an egg yolk orangish-yellow. It had a coppery bronze gota Patti – which, afterwards, I trained from the saree but couldn’t manage from the blouse because of the lining. Continuing the spirit of stepping out of comfort zone, I wore this with a dark between top collared top from Van Heusen, which again, I had bought during that period.

This photograph with my ex-colleagues is something I cherish. And I will always remember that this company enabled ne to bring my baby into the world without having to be afraid of losing my job.

Which is why, after three four photographs, it seemed right that the brat should also be a part of the photo for this post.

So here it is. With this story of my ‘son’shine yellow saree, my son abs I give my thanks. Ma’am definitely will not be seeing this. But, still, we thank you.