66/100 #100CholiCraze #debsaristories #iworkedout #100sareepact

Saree: pure crepe hand painted. This one is from Talking threads when they just started new few years ago. Choli: wink wink.  Velvet crop top. This one is so soft I love the feel of it. It's like feather

Story: my fav color white! Peace! For a change I did outdoor photoshoot.. around basketball court.  Son looked at me amidst practice and showed thumbs up, came running and said ma you look beautiful.  No matter who says what, when your baby says such a thing to you. You ACTUALLY  feel like a queen. Which is how I feel right now (and i am completely ignoring my hubby saying.. butter chicken beta kaheen ka 😋😋. I said I could smell smoke .. someone or something burning around )

February is the best month for Delhi and drive around. My first Taj Mahal trip was in Feb.. driving around the acres of sarson ka kheth.. yellow flowers... for as far as you can see. A memory. With my roommates .. in maruti omni.. Which got broken down on way back at night.. but songs like.. aaja piya tohe pyar soon, bin tere sanam kept our fear and worries away for a bit. That was the first time I listened to those two songs, so it's etched deep. I listened again today while working out today.

Ok now! Don't ask me why I jump and sit atop tree stump or parapet wall every time I see one 🙄🙄🙄 natural instinct 😋

Sun is back, life goes on. Enjoy your stay while it lasts.

65/100 #100CholiCraze #debsaristories #100sareepact

Saree: georgette bandhani easy peasy comfy drape.  Choli: this came with the white lehenga (if you remember the post where I wore it with white bell sleeves choli)

Story: what to say. Too much going on.. inside and outside.  Although I couldn't wear Saree and post for almost a week I was talking to all of you (mentally) ... just dint get a chance to pen my thoughts on paper or rather mobile phone !! Work kept me awake and busy throughout.. but it's all good. No complaints. Lots of work is any day better than no work. Touchwood.

I love to (and be) fotograph. But i  was thinking that most   precious memories are usually never captured in camera. My earliest memory is seeing Siri on my fifth bday. I clearly remember the event like it was yesterday. Birth of my son, the visual and the cry.. nope no camera can ever capture what I captured as a mom. Amma long hair braided (but no rubber band at the end)  wearing Saree to sit down for tuition classes for our colony kids.. some stay. Forever.

I also remember the first telephone landline.. phew.. what an achievement it was after several years of waitlist.. the red device with buttons (advanced version thanks for the wait) was a sight to remember. No more going to Sandhya's three houses down the road to wait to talk to grandparents... and in fact they would all know who called, why they called etc.. it's like one big family. Our relatives are their relatives and vice versa. We knew their cousins names,  aunts uncles, in fact maniamma (neighbour's grandma ) from killukudi would always get me vathal because she knows I love them. She would twist my cheek and wish and bless me betelnut chewing all the time. A memory I would never forget. No cameras could have done justice anyway.

And today when my adorable Saree diva left us all and went to seek better place somewhere she left memories within many of us perhaps... her Saree, her personality,  her journey amidst many challenges .. sigh. Sri! My top three fav songs from her treasure..

Kanne kalaimaane... moondram pirai..
Kaatein nahi kaththi... from Mr. India
Jaamu rathiri.. jaabilamma.. from Kshanam Kshanam

64/100 #100CholiCraze #debsaristories #iworkedout #100sareepact

Saree: Kalamkari from Lepakshi. Choli: net and georgette.

Story: after all remixes (nautanki 😉) and experiments I am back doing what I am good at-- being myself!

I was feeling like I needed to. I knew I could have fun doing all experiments but the inner calling pulls you back to who you actually are. It gravitates you, keeps you grounded. In my soul and most often for real too, my default self can be seen wearing a nice starched crisp white kota or venkatgiri or Mangalagiri Saree with a kanchi cotton big thread work border blouse,  tuck in my pallu end across waist showing my stretch marks proudly (No marks have ever left such positive impact as the stretch marks from being a mom.. permanent tattoo) , hair knotted casually (lost too much hair so bun isn't fun anymore) jhumka and flowers in hair. Maybe add pearls to it.. That's it. That's my calling. That's me as I make my cup of masala chai and sip watching birds, flowers amidst al beauty. That's my peace point.

All of us have that true being, sometimes we open it up for all or some to see,sometimes we hold it dearly a secret. We may be whatever to the world, we may not be what they think we are, we may never expose our vulnerabilites for the fear of being judged, criticised.. but we all know who we are and what our peace point is... that which gravitates us, keeps us grounded and helps us do what we all are good at - being ourselves (everyone else is taken, so we actually don't have a choice here 🤗)

Love all. Be you.

Agla gaana aap sab ke liye.. ye kahaan aa gaye hum, yun hi saath saath chalte...

62/100 #100cholicraze #debsaristories #100sareepact

Saree : grey black combo dakhai jamdani.  Choli: ? It's actually a full length dress but since it's ikat print I tried to experiment with the flow

Story: First things first, God cannot provide 100 cholis to everyone,  so he created t-shirts,  shirts, sweaters, dresses and everything else. These days my pairing is not just mix match of Saree cholis,  they virtually expand to work wear,  winter wear,  every-wear, every-where.

K, coming back to the story.  Sick kiddo at home yesterday was bored, so pulled a pack of cards and was playing memory game by himself.  After I shut down my laptop I joined him to play seven cards (baby version of Rummy). As I was teaching him ideas and guidance on the game of cards, I realized how similar they are to the game of Life.
1. You never know what cards you will get in the first place and what comes later.
2. Sometimes the card you need may be with others,  you need to either wait until they drop it or need to move on
3. You need to strategize about how long you could wait until you switch to a different direction.
4. Sometimes the card you were previously waiting for may be available to you now, but you have moved on already! Tchh
5. It's not always that the Queen or King of hearts bring you smile to your face,  sometimes it's the Ace,  the Jack or even Joker.  You need to know how to respect them all.
6. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose- what matters is that you tried best. The game must move on
7. You may be lucky to have gotten some cards,  sometimes it may take longer, sometimes it may never happen -  it is what it is. Some games have predetermined endings but you play them nevertheless! How fair, skilled, committed and passionate you are to the game is a testament to you as a player! So keep playing!

Isi baat pe ek RD. Burman and Kishore Kumar combo song ho jai? Its one of my all time favorites! "Zingadi ek safar hai suhaana,  yahan kal Kya ho ho kisne jaana..."

61/100 #100CholiCraze #debsaristories #100sareepact

Saree: Chevron printed tussar silk. Choli: guess what? It's a silk blouse crop top to be worn over trousers (I wore it over a dress today,  see pic) !! I loved the silky soft flowy feeling of it.. so tried to experiment

Story: much like the stripes and chevron life is all twists and turns too. Anyways a straight road with no curves and turns is boring.. So this is fun indeed.

There are twists that turn your life in a different direction altogether. You may have had no clue of them coming and neither an idea of their outcome. It's like splash of bucket full of water when u least expect it. But then thats a defining moment.  I believe in Karma and Destiny. I also strongly believe God's department is fully computerized now so there is no backlog of karma being postponed to next birth. These days the cases move quickly and the resolution happens right here right now! That's the twist and turn from creator himself!

I am not a big fan of solving puzzles with the exception of Life. Btw. My experiment today is totally on the crazy side but bura na mano.. choli hai.. 🤣🤣

60/100 #100CholiCraze #debsaristories #iworkedout #100sareepact

Saree: color of the day.  Red. Georgette Saree. Choli: actually a crop top that can be worked out as workout wear when not doing it's duty as Saree blouse

Story: Love is in the air, along with pollution,  allergies, spring fragrance.. happy coexistence.  ❤❤❤

Love isn't restricted to defined relationships. It's not by book. It happens. It exists. Some things are not seen, only felt. There is not one day to celebrate love. It's done every moment. That's why universe exists. You never know when someone walks into your heart and makes your life beautiful. Parents, sublings, children, family,  friends, neighbours,  cousins, that unknowns stranger that left a bump in the heart, that small train journey where the person on next berth left a moment in heart and got down in the next station. That person on line that gave up turn to let u go ahead with a smile,  that old uncle who gave special prasadam guessing u must be a good kid.
Those unspoken unsaid relationships that exists in the purest form in the depth  of heart. Those that make the heart beat. Those incomplete sentences, those unfinished memories, That innocent smile, those innocent eyes, those fingers that hold hands and  hearts together. Celebrate it everyday. Dot dot dot.

Love all. Love is all. ❤❤❤

59/100 #100CholiCraze #debsaristories #iworkedout #100sareepact

Saree: Dhakai jamdani. Choli: two-by-two. I hand painted back kolam, rangoli, alpana.. pattern this afternoon since i had couple of hours in hand. #sundayfunday #artinaction

Story: this blouse was loose when purchased.. you know the ones you get in gariahat kolkata bylanes in small shops that are fit into six by eight boxes. Yep. One of those. Of course you ask for your size and you get free size.  Nevertheless I hand stitched couple of inches each side to make it sort of fit. :) but there is certain sweetness about two by two blouses. For ages even the most expensive kanjivarams happily married two by two blouses.

Been long time since I held a painting brush in hand.. son's class got canceled last minute allowing me two hours. And then in parallel.. my kolam or muggu art was marinating in mind from long time.. that is it!!  Quickly went to purchase fabric paints and picked this blouse to let my he(art) out. It's such relieving.  Such an outlet. The paint could have been flowy,  that would have been helpful but nevertheless I tried. Plenty of imperfections, crooked lines, blotches. But all done in 90 minutes... Or rather.. i did not want to create anything that could have taken longer. Art can't fit into time.. and I go with the flow. I do not know fully what I would create until I go step at a time. Btw, There is one picture sort of.. in bits and pieces of puzzle..in my mind or rather in my heart.... and there is one piece of wood.. just time is in between. But perhaps will meet me soon.

58/100 #100CholiCraze #debsaristories #iworkedout #100sareepact

Saree: floral embroidered georgette. Choli: keep it simple in sleeveless

Story: Life always finds it way. Amidst barren rocks, under water, tough concrete and also springs back after winter. The same nude branches last week blossomed with pale pink flowers inspiring me to wear this pastel Saree today.

I must have have been less than nine years old for sure (home was still under construction then). The old flower woman usedd to live in a hut outside our then under construction home. She would sell flowers morning and evening. Whatever she earned, she would spend to chew tobacco and also drank alcohol but none of that mattered to the seven or eight year old me.. she taught me make flower garlands. My guru. She was very fast at it... so every time I would watch her as I played on the sand pile outside our brick and mortar walls.. I would wonder at the magic in her hands. She was short tempered so I was not not confident if I should ask her to teach me.. but one day I finally did.

She told me to first cut strands of grass blades , which I did. Stringing Jasmine was like PhD. So I had to start with basics. She told me to knot the grass blades,  many trials and errors .. either the grass blades would cut or the string (naaru we would call it) would dry and rip off. I learnt to keep it damp as I strung.
I learnt to first string grass blades.. then flower woman was happy and let me help her with flowers.. Jasmine need to be patiently string because the stems are small and short, kanakambaram needs gentleness because the stem is weak, chaamanthi takes time because u need to bend the long stems And then string them, jaaji is easier compared to others.. kadambam..mix match khichdi.. although short tempered she would let me keep my string and sometimes used to decorate them in my long hair (once upon a time my hair used to reach mid thigh.. later my hormones played and vanished it).

Now when I look back.. I think she taught me few things.
1. One size doesn't fit all.. be it flower garland or anything in life
2. You never know who and how your Guru can enter your life. Like the swan that consumes milk, separating it from water.. there might always be good amidst many unwanted characteristics in a person. Nothing and no one is perfect.
3. There is no age to learn or teach.. needs just a heart to connect both ways.

I still string flowers, haven't forgotten the lessons learnt as seven or eight year old, thank you puvvula avva. Rip.  Wherever you are.

57/100 #100CholiCraze #debsaristories #iworkedout #100sareepact

Saree: nude georgette with dull gold embroidery, Choli: Black sequins,  not my original choice but was close to the mood today.

Story: "I wrote a letter to my father on the way I dropped it, the postman came and picked it up and put it in his pocket.. pocket.. pocket..." ok now.. how many of you sang the song along with me with the elongated tune gor pockettttt pooocccket???  Did you also feel like getting up from your circle spot to go catch and "out" the other person with hanky??? Yeee! Hi-five! Glad you remembered!!

It's Feb.. almost time to buy a small envelope, self address it, not to forget to attach stamp and take it to school to hand over for the annual exam results....ahhhhh
That summer moment when somewhere in the middle of holidays there is anxiety when you hear the tringgg trinnnggg from postmans old cycle bell. You run outside to see you get to collect the post first, open and see what the rest of the holidays are going to look like! What tension. Phew.
And no matter what the contents of envelope are, the postman is certain to collect bakshish from Amma.. for the excellent results that we could expect in that tiny yellow paper cover which will soon unfold your fate..

The teachers stars on the report card is a bonus, if you were really good. One gold star, two silver stars, three red stars if you were in top three of the class! And of course there is discussion comparison within the neighbourhood.. about how "tough" some papers were specially which is why the marks weren't as great as they ought to be..

That tiny dull yellow envelope somehow reminded me to wear this dull beige saree... the suspense of the envelope telling you to keep calm and do what you can do, because no matter what, the content is already inside and it is what it is 😎😎😎

56/100 #100CholiCraze #debsaristories #iworkedout

Saree: Black Phulkari on georgette. Choli: the once famous Rs.40/- 1997-ish velvet blouse with my attitudal "just do it" layer.. teamed over my crossfit workout leggings

Story: yeah yeah I know! Its a true Saree but whether I draped it or wrapped it..  I will leave to your imagination. Every Day in life is like a blank piece of postit paper.. you can choose to do one of the many options..
- do nothing about it
- crumple it and trash
- scribble and vent frustration
- lend it to someone asking them to fill it
- just don't bother to even consider it lying around
- create an art. Make the blank paper come to life with small or all memories, any or many treasures. Paint it with smiles,  brush it with love, powder it with care, blend it with relationships, mend it with eraser,  and end of Day smile at it and put it where it truly belongs.. in the page of heart, in the book of life.

Don't you think So? It's up to us to leave or take the pages and create our own story board. So... JUST DO IT!

I told you this new year I would like to pay attention to my total health.. body, mind and spirit. As women, we  often and always take care of everything and every one around. We care for what our family eats, where they eat, how it matters to their health and what's good or bad... BUT... we forgot to add one constant in that equation.. OURSELVES.  And then algebraicly the equation is not balanced.  LHS <> RHS

I stepped back to think why it bothers me more now than ever before?
- perhaps because the grey hair in hair brush candidly reminds me it's mine and not Amma's anymore.
- perhaps I want my son to learn, appreciate and acknowledge that physical wellness is something I truly care about and I want to live by example.
- perhaps his smile everytime he sees me work hard (he coaches me as well) motivates me to be more than myself.
- perhaps because it's the right thing to do after all?

No matter what or why.. I think I will try best to "Just do it"

We bend backwards for so many things in life, for once.. why not for ourselves? For .. only when we are in good health and  spirit , can we take care of all those that look up to us ! More Shakthi to us!

Nevertheless,  I enjoyed the wrap around saree experiment.. if nothing you can at least get a good laugh envisioning my craziness, which I seem to surpass myself every time!

Love all.

54/100 #100CholiCraze #debsaristories #iworkedout

Saree: silk kota I guess. Choli: old time blouse, all my old blouses are loose and keep slipping off shoulders,  but still wanted to wear it today.

Story: Pics say it all. Breeze, Shower, Saree, Silence,  Smiles, flowers, blue sky, swaying branches... everything to wake up the child in me again. So there I go.. Sat on steps, sat on my favorite wooden bench and... Sat on the parapet wall and jumped off it too.. I did not want to go indoors.

"Amma.. pls.. I want to play outside.. With Siri.. with friends Sandhya, Kutti, Valli and the boys too..

Play cards, cycle around the colony,  gupshup sitting in balcony or terrace,  or have rasna together.

Or perhaps today it's time to go to ration shop and check for stock and huge lines? Or maybe.. it's time to go to the mill to grind aata, Sambhar powder (give clear instructions not to mix with shikakai mill machine) or maybe peep into the fancy store.. for new nail polish or shingar color bindi liquid ... the 12 colored round dibba..

Maybe I should wash and dry my white canvas Bata shoes and polish them in the evening.. "

Two decades since but every moment fresh like the smell of soil soaked in first drops of drizzle..

Speaking of which.. it's shilpa gold bindi time today amongst many other things.

Here I go again.. to have my chai outside in the breeze.. Kya kare.. I am a summer sunny girl and can't control myself!!!

Too many pics.. sorry.. wasn't in mood to compile and collage..💖💖

53/100 #100CholiCraze #debsaristories #iworkedout

Saree: simple and basic beige and red Bengal cotton.  Choli: custom designed silk cotton with embroidery

Srory: there you go! This story must be told.. Numaish and Hyderabad.. this Saree was purchased from numaish ten years ago..  I strongly believe bargaining is fundamental constituinal right of women... very closely associated to freedom of speech. Numaish  shopping staples include ikkat bedsheets, Salwar sets, Rajasthan handwork stuff and of course cotton sarees from Bengal for the upcoming summer. The saree deal goes like this..

We... you are quoting too much for simple cotton Saree
He.. na didi  I mentioned the least price specially for you today
We: no no.. we spent so much on petrol to come this far....we have so much work to do at home.. we left everything and come home..
He: didi everything is expensive.. petrol, train,cotton.. everything.  I get nothing. No profit.  I am quoting my price to you..only for you
We: ok nevermind, looks like you don't intend to sell.. denewala daam batao... nahi to rehne do..

Here starts the shahrukh khan kajol saga

We .. slowlllllly proceed tiny steps at time (hoping he would call and we could palat)
He... remains silent until we are so far that he almost loses sight of us
We.. introspect and discuss.. maybe we could have offered fifty more.. dang.. but we can't go back now.. (ego)
He.. oh no these people really don't seem to care..
He.. madam.. baudi.. didi..

Me (almost giving the Simran running towards train effect from DDLJ climax.. in my mind not physically).. Yes? Who me?

We walk back.. get this Saree for 250/- and proud of the new addition to our collection and he.. happy.. he sold one more piece and of course he had done his math as well about this positive deal.

Today's weather is the perfect in long time. I showered and unquestionably undoubtedly settled into my comfy tant r sharee.. with my cup of chaa.. to catch up some time with myself. Ah life without chaa would have been disastrous (ma baba think I was born to be bangali.. they have no clue how I am so bangali..ish, but I love my strong  filter coffee from Amma from her first morning decoction too 🤗🤗😍😍)

The sun slowly set into horizon as I finish typing my post. My chaa is done too and in few moments when the crickets start chirping I will settle back  home indoors. ..with smiles of memories... of Numaish... of chaa... of all small things we remember.. alpasandosham is what it is.

Tidbits: "About Numaish 2018, Nampally Exhibition, Numaish Exhibition, Hyderabad Exhibition

Numaish Worlds Largest Industrial Exhibition with 2,900 Stalls, 23 Acre's Area, 46 Days Duration with 25-30 Lakh Foot Print, Numaish 2018 will Start on 1st January 2018. This Numaish has 77 Years History. Exhibition Daily timings are 3:00 pm to 10:30 pm. "

51/100 #100CholiCraze #debsaristories #iworkedout

Saree: ink blue chiffon, Choli: 🤣🤣🤣🤣 this is a knee length dress

Story: you know what? Sometimes it's the story, sometimes Saree and sometimes choli that motivates me.. today it was this knee length dress turned choli... so to speak

In my teens i thought love is all we need for a happy relationship ( naive me!!). In my twenties i realized love is just not enough - trust is key to relationships, (hmm growing up gal).... soon in thirties I discovered the huge part called respect and it's pivotal role in success of relationships, (ah thats the dawn of womanhood)... I don't know what forties has in store for me.. neither do I wish to uncover that earlier.. the joy of discovery is so much fun.. not knowing where you are going but being able to enjoy the journey is the essence of life.. I know my answers will wait for me round the corner.. but one step at a time.

Until then there are going to be passengers loading on and off of stations.. acquaintances,  friends, short journeys, long journeys, travel stories,memories, ... ahhhh..  the train of life is oh so wonderful. Right now right here we are destined to be in this group and share shoulders.   You never know how long and how far.. but while we are here we better rock the journey to the best!!!

All worlds a stage and all men are mere actors.... miles to go before I sleep (jammed two of my most fav lines)