#debsaristories So many wonderful pics from ssmeet all over the globe. I am cherishing each one of them! I missed the opportunity to participate, but guess what. Itni shiddat se chaaha... hubby did a marathon drive from canada to sfo and we ended up home by 02:00am. Even more my dearie Kavitha Krishnamurthy had planned satyanarayana puja at her place today and there comes the saree meet! Two is a group too, home is a wonderful location too. What say? I love listening to poetry turned music, and was wondering why our generation hasnt ben able to give birth to a rabindranath thakur, bharathiyar, annamayya, vemana, tulsi das? Even more, many nextgen kids dont speak or understand their home language (not just mothertongue... because fathertongue could be different too). They may not appreciate the literature forget about even attempting to create their own. I, for weird reasons connect with languages. I love to be able to talk to you in your language, I would love to learn if I dont know. Someone told me.. "why do you assume the responsibility of culture and language is upon you? Why? Why do you insist your kid has to speak your home language? His natural setting doesnt require it, it requires English. He wont appreciate it when he grows up!" That's what I was told. I asked "why did you assume your baby of 18 months wouldn't appreciate being taught home language in addition to English? Why or how did you decide on your kid's behalf that he or she doesnt think its amazing to learn one's own language?". Silence. I am not questioning anyone's choice but more worried for the rich cultural history that may soon vanish. Similar to how this group tries best to keep alive the 5000 year old saree history, we may need a #languagespeak perhaps to keep some of our indian languages alive. Our tolerance and acceptance of intra-national Indian languages is much lesser than for international languages. Even in India so many families migrate to different states and still keep their home language intact while adopting and adapting to newer languages around. That changes when e step outside the nation..Perhaps because English is "cool"? I see a lot of Asian kids speaking mandarin and English fluently. They blend very well in both cultures. Hum bhi to kam nahi... kyun na hum bhi kareyn? I hope India could still give birth to more Rabindranath Thakurs and Bharathiyaars in future too. I hope. Btw when bettu and I had an argument yesterday he said "ami amar kaan kete kutta ke diye debo". Meaning I will cut my ear and feed the dog. I try best to hide my smile and or laughter.

#debsaristories #mazaaagaya #frozen #bollywood Ladies, it's extremely important to make sure we pack few women health staples as we had out for travel. What if there is a sudden need to use one during the journey when you least expect it? Its important to be prepared. I m not talking personal hygiene products, I know you are all much better planners and preparers than that. I am talking about saree. Duh. And yeah I hereby declare it's a women's health staple. Its antidepressant! As we headed out for a break, I quickly wrapped saree in a pouch and put it in my backpack. And guess what? There it was. Enroute our journey this beautiful snow shower. I immediately used the restroom to get ready and wonders of wonder hubby was not just willing to take pics, he even agreed to a slo-mo video.

I chose a tamizh song voice over (veesum katrukku) but hubby wasn't super impressed and chose this hindi song for voice over instead. You decide! I then wanted hot cocoa. As I sipped, i was reminded how beverages and India have a strong connection. Any morning if you visit someone in Tamil household the question goes "kaapi sapidringala?". If you said ye, you are lucky. That's the first best strong decoction. As day progreses, the question is still asked by the coffee becomes lighter and lighter. When I started working in delhi any household we would visit would offer chai or lassi depending on the weather outside. And then come bangalis.. anytime including midnight "chaa khabe" is common along with maybe singaras, pyaazi jalepi anything anytime. Food is life. Truly. Here you can travel from coast to coast and wont find much variation in cuisine except if you are very experimental and research for local family owned eateries. McD to Starbucks, its same across (good and bad so not complaining) For now I am enjoying the snow moment experience

#debsaristories #marriageanniversary Today is our day- 14 years of togetherness. Mauka for celebration and also some "getting ready". Weekday occasions are celebrated over the weekend. Had a blast. All of us eating falooda icecream, me sitting criss cross in the car fron seat, listening to Kishore Kumar, driving through the curvy roads and enjoying the moment. That's my kind of celebration. Low key but heartfelt. Today was hectic day but squeezed a maika to saree and took a pic of self and of course better half. We built our lives from scratch and have been for each other when we had nothing. That's the sweetest memories and we still think.of them one way.or the other everyday and smile or laugh at it. End of day, the friendship, respect and humor are three things that keep relationships strong and healthy. That's what I realized. Ab a little more kishore kumar and little more flashback time to relive the beautiful journey ❤ Organza saree with dull gold sequined blouse

#debsaristories Yeah, been a while since I posted. But chaltha hai, hum bhi kaun sa VIP ye Amitabh Bachchan hain! 😝 Honestly, I am dozing asleep after thirty five hours of sleeplessness (a very accomplishing project at work completed and we were up all night yesterday, sometimes all this effort feels good without any expectations in return) the only reason I am awake is because I had a satyanarayana puja invite in the neighborhood this evening = saree-ing!

So yes girls, this post is not because I am in amazing location, with outstanding background or first class photography or I am posing like a model. It's only because I am wearing one of my favorite gadwal sarees from ma's pitara. The last time I wore this is in 2003. The velvet blouse is from 1999 when these costed 50/- and were hugely popular. I wasn't fan of them and purchased just because everyone did! Well I now want these in all colors, but good luck with that! Old times cant be rewinded, huh? On the same note, during the puja arathi they wanted ladies to sing, so I quietly went to the back row. Gaana or hum? Backbencher pls. But when a teenager girl started a tune, something inside me rang a bell. I somehow started humming the lyrics of that varnam through completion, which i learnt when i was 11. Ye, i wanted to learn dance, amma said "you cannot dance after a certain age but you can sing at any age. Look at m.s.subbalakshmi." ye super valid point, but amma forgot that uske liye there is a basic prerequisite - good voice. Hum to bathroom mein bhi darte hain to sing... ki khudh hi khudh pe tamatar phekh deyn!!!! Me and carnataka sangeetham, oh no. I am glad I chose not to harass people. Haan, one thing though - the music in my heart never stops, there is always a song going on in my heart and sometimes I dance to it too in my heart. Hum isi se khush hai.💕💕💕 Oh I LOVE this gadwal from old time weaves.

#debsaristories #sareespeak After bidding tata bye bye see you to Lakshmis and Durgas, it's time for the devils. Well if Gids were here, can devil's be far away anyways? I am not a great Halloween costume person but today teamed my "owl" tee with black saree for devil combo. I couldn't find my purple mask so ye, chuck it. That's the devil me. Ok?

 Yet another interesting conversation with a colleague and senior at work. The colleague's eight year old daughter who recently started playing soccer apparently was just running behind others who were chasing the ball instead of chasing it by herself. And the parents were disappointed about it. The rolley eyed me couldn't stop but said, shes just eight, let her be. The colleague said it's ok for her not to win but she should be giving her best (and pumped fists into the table). I said , how do you know she did not? Quiet. Silence. You seem to be a patient parent is the remark I got, followed by let's change the topic. I am glad we did. Patient parent (that sound so contradictory right)? I wasnt always at least to begin with. But growing up with bettu i understood that for a kid to grow up well, it's not about them raising up to our expectations, but rather its important we get down to their level of requirements and understanding. Not every kid is born to compete at eight. Some develop that skill at eighteen, twenty eight, may be even forty eight. Or maybe some never will. Just like how not all kids know to sim, dance, paint, be human, become a prodigy. Its an infinite spectrum. Does it mean we stop pushing them? Perhaps not. Where there is passion, let's help them set a goal, small or big. Let's help them work towards it. It's hard for kids to keep a goal in mind and work towards it. That requires a lot of maturity (common, how many times have we set goals and just forgot about them because it was too much work!). Let them enjoy the process of learning. Allow them to realize where they need to put more efforts. None of these are overnight changes. It takes years. We lose patience , we freak out when other overachieving kids come with remarkable successes and worry for our own. Guess what, each take their own time and eventually will find their way. Good guidance nevertheless is the constant in this case. Are kids that arent competitive at eight losers in life? Of course not. They have seen the earth only for eight years and have a LONG way to go and deal with competition all through life. If it comes naturally to them, nothing like it but until then let them be. Let us first try to become a better parent as much as we expect our kids to become better children. That's the devil in me. Now at rest.

#debsaristories Unplanned saree post. But when indeed I draped a saree, then why not post and share the happiness. Diwali is all about lights- literal, emotional and spiritual. The other day a well wisher colleague was asking me about my future career plans, I laughed and said I have none. She asked if I dint see myself as a CXgroup. I said of course not, I wasn't even thinking. That wasnt my priority ever unless it came organically in the course of life. When I was thinking later about it, I realized I figured out that few things are clear in my mind. When life wants to flow beautifully like a stream through hills, valleys , forests, meadows to reach the ocean...why should I try to capture and bind it in a bottle in the name of "plans". The following lamps light in my heart everyday. Some days, when one of them darken, the other lends light and oil to keep it glowing 1. I don't compete with anyone 2. I don't compare myself with anyone 3. I don't self sympathize What's (destined) mine will always be (and what'snot, wont be mine likewise). The following lamps I use to light others 1. Be nice, not expecting anything in return 2. All days arent same, learn to sail through the ebb and tide 3. Spread happiness. It definitely helps and world needs it in abundance If each of us try our bit, everyday is Diwali. Aaj took time for a simple Rangoli at home. Bettu helped me a bit too. We chatted about my childhood Diwali memories and I told him I will share today's stories with my grandchildren in future. He had a shy smile, he liked the idea. Happy Diwali weekend girls. Stay bright!

#debsaristories Bahut zyada masti ki aaj. Diwali get-together at work (mostly driven by my enthu)! Since its outside India, Its that time when the student in me is more fully awake (creative side I mean,) went yesterday night to office to do Rangoli (do u like it?) And decoration for photo backdrop. Again motivated my (vi)desi colleagues to drape saree (lended them mine) and not just that aaj to exceeded my own barriers and danced after 16 years! Last time was in 2003. Naacha (and nachaaya bhi) to Aankh maarey and we enjoyed the unplanned impromptu team dance! We also did garba steps with my videsi colleagues, them in sarees! Kuch habits cant die. Like this one, the celebrations during festival and to create that "mahaul" to step away from work and have some fun! I am glad this is accepted at workplace despite being outside India. More special because my silent spectator #sareespeak friend and colleague Monika Aggarwal is in saree and she looked STUNNING. The grey blackboard seemingly looking like clouds gave the amazing backdrop. I shared a video for the first time of my pagalpan (danced to several others too today but that's an overkill) I love every bit of colors, celebrations and the happiness it brings. My smile hasn't vanished even after two long days of stress, work and planning :) Diwali hai!

#debsaristories #durgapujo Sarhad paar ke bhi pyar mil sakta hai. Last month I started conversation to invite my neighborhood girl gang (all non-bengalis except two) for a bong style bijoya get together, that was for today. When I mentioned red white theme, there was unbound excitement. Some even started Amazon shopping for sarees. Made me think! What's bong dressing without big bindi and shakhapola? Well of course I wouldn't get it here in USA , that's when my dearest friend Minsha Mishti Ahmed helped me with 40 pairs of shakha pola, bindi packets and even rose flowers for all ! So much hungama! But honestly every bit of effort was worth it, my neighbor who is from Pakistan (shared her pic) enjoyed the saree drape, the bindi and sindoor and was so happy being part of the occasion. Today coincidentally is Lakshmi puja for many observing bengalis. What's more wonderful than forty sakshath Lakshmis walking and blessing you with their presence. Treated the girls to some bengali delicacies, loochi, mangsho, cholar daal, aloo phoolkopir tarkari, pyaji, paneer, pulao and patali gurer payesh. I am draped in an Assam silk saree teamed with a brocade blouse Minsha, love you re. This was impossible without you. In a world where friends and family hesitate to help, you have helped me without thinking twice. Big shoutout to #sareespeak friendships!

#debsaristories #durgapujo Ashche bochor abar hobe. Ah that time, bitter sweet. The past five days flew so fast, and the wait starts already for next year. Sindoor daan is very special, I got attracted to it, the first time I saw it (that was before marriage). But the sweetest part is being with ma and when she applies sindoor on my cheeks with love and only love. Ma's blessings are what Dugga would have bestowed upon me if she stood in front of me. I always wear white red saree for dashami but today my dry cleaned garad was more of a tent material for Yosemite than to be draped. I tried in vain. It wouldn't hold me, it just wanted to create this weird hard pleats and pallu that I looked like a badly made defective manipuri doll.😒 This pure Assam silk came to my last minute rescue. Happens. Cant crib, just moved on. Ashche bochor abar hobe! It is a sweet surprise when sakhis from #sareespeak recognize you outside of Facebook! Thanks Urmi S Roy and Anu Pai 🥰🥰🥰 Shubho bijoya to you all!!!

#debsaristories #durgapujo The rolly eyes game! It's a silent hide and seek. Do you see this too? Women trying to avoid eye contact even though the HUGE you are standing right in front of them like iceberg in front of Titanic? Yeah I witness a lot of that during these socio-cultural events. The "higher ups" trying to avoid the First eye contact with the "commons". Its like, "you go first, you look at me, wave at me, try to smile, yell, make faces while I try to pretend that I am super busy and important person and I will completely ignore your presence even though you are less than two feet away from me". Sometimes they even summon someone behind you ten feet away and you wonder if THEY are long-sighted or did YOU just magically become invisible like Mr. India. I observe this game being played all around me in these gatherings. What a fun to watch (pun intended) Hmm. What syndrome is this? Is this mental condition officially recorded with a name in medical books? Perhaps the wise ones and doctors in this group can enlighten us. How does making eye contact with someone and greeting them first make you less important ? If that's true, I will be out of that "order of importance" game even during auditions. I can go tap people and greet them, perhaps I should learn a thing or two going forward and behave like those grown ups. Perhaps that what I am supposed to do at 39. Phew.. so much worldly learning pending.

#debsaristories #durgapujo Durgashtami special! Shakti roop is my fav roop of Ma. Shakti alias Courage comes from capability, confidence, compassion. We all are conscious about uplifting one other these days. Don't forget that is applicable inside the family too. There is a child in every woman and that child has many unfilled wishes that have been locked up forever and forgotten perhaps.

Getting ready for Durga puja, ma and I take time to check out on each other and we make sure each other looks the best! Today I was blow drying ma's hair, I love her hair and more so love tending to it. Moms, MILs, aunts, sisters, cousins older and you get all of us women have that little girl in us alive and wishing for small moments. If you can, keep them alive and even better help them relive those! I know ma is a beautiful, stunning and confident woman but that never intimidates me. We both bring our own strengths and skills to the family. We complement and learn from each other and together we are one good team that can watch each others back. In fact I am proud to be her DIL. My husband is who he is, largely due to the upbringing in addition to his individuality. How can I just enjoy the fruit and not love the tree? Duh, right? That's the shakti within us. That's the shaktiroopini. Happy durgashtami lovelies!

#debsaristories #durgapujo Shubho Shasthi and Saptami. Here starts my pujo officially. Took the day off to be with ma and Ma. After all kya leke aate hain aur kya leke jayenge, bas kuch pal ki baatein hi zindagi hai. In a sweet hand embroidered sheuli linen saree, matched with a georgette blouse again with pearl work embroidered on sleeves. Someone argued with me that I shouldn't be so over enthu about culture, language and beliefs, sarees especially because I live in USA. My answer to them was the key is not picking one over the other- be it one Indian culture over another or Indian culture over another country's culture. Key is to blend in and pick the best of all. hain na?

#debsaristories Facebook asks me "what's in your mind" I say- hope, happiness and peace. "Hok shuru din guna", means "let the countdown begin" #durgapujo is here. Advantage USA? Pujo starts one weekend ahead and goes one week past! There are pros and cons to everything in life, this is a SUPER big pro for saree lovers in us!

 Me and Ma are all set with our pujo shaaj. Of course, as it always happens we keep changing minds and sarees till the last minute. A lot depends you see. .. it's very strategic planning. What others are wearing, what colors seem to be uncommon and which ones are common so we should avoid, the accessories the entire look! Phew such a tough job. 360 days of planning for the 5 day full day outing with Durga. We compliment strangers, we smile at known and unknown faces, we read minds and answer them without being asked, we enjoy eating bhog, serving bhog, catching up on chai and most importantly we love just being there, in the moment Are we not religious? Of course we are. Every moment the Durga in me is awake and aware and keeps reminding of the strength within me and power I bring to earth. My head held high I walk to thee, the Ma, for you gave the likes of me to bring lives to earth. Me and ma in our pujo shuru blouses. Ma in a grey benarasi jaal chiffon, and I am in red jamdani organza

#debsaristories #wish #fearofloss Absolutely poor quality pic, sob sob, although this is one of my long time wishlist saree, I definitely couldn't do justice.

 Fear. Do you go through this? When I get call late night from amma I dont pick it. I actually dont. If the call repeats I shudder. If it goes thrice I dread. I dont have the guts to pick the call to hear anything that I cannot withstand. Amma , Nanna live far away, and the me doesnt have any guts to.let anything happen to them since I am not around. Similarly, when baba oversleeps I get restless, I dont want to go to his room and check. I keep loitering outside his room making noises to disturb him so I could wake him up. When ma doesnt finish her workout and yoga on time I go crazy. I yell at kiddo for no reason because I know she will be out asap to rescue her grandson and get mad at me. I dont mind being yelled at or them getting annoyed, it's my secret way of ensuring they are doing fine. My intention is not to create tension in their minds but actually to relieve mine. I care too much and feel too much that I pray for immortality for my loved ones. I am weak and I cant think beyond. I am human and only want happiness to those that are mine. Like almost everyone in the group, a golden Rekha kanjivaram is something I would love to possess too someday. Guess what, truth is a) its expensive b) I dont have any occasions in near or far future that would call for such a beauty. Reality check. That's when I bumped into this beauty. It's easy to drape, stays in place and looks elegant. That's all I needed.

#debsaristories #fatherinlaw #myfriend Happy birthday my friend Ganesha. May you always bless everyone and give us strength to remove obstacles enroute our life.

Speakig of friends, Father in law's dont get the same attention in conversations as much as mother in laws. When I think of such silent unsaid friends, I think of baba. Apparently when Patideb shared the idea of marrying a non bengali girl, baba wasnt too happy. Their social circle had many families that could have willingly turned into a relationship. However from the time when we first met, baba never made me realize his feelings. Of course the initial period of time was for us to learn and unlearn. Baba used to have some strong preferences and I slowly learnt all of that from ma. However the best common thing between us was chai. Baba and I were and are are best friends for chai. We can bond over midnight chai. That soon became our connect. Who ever gets up first would make chai for the other. Baba used to understand my taste and would cook special dishes just for me in his spare time. Baba likes presentation a lot, he comes from a family where every meal was tastefully hosted and served and guess what, that worked for us.. I am the type that would serve a simple salad neatly decorated in a platter with some special touch. That's our bonding. That brings a smile and sparkle to baba's face. Over the period of last fifteen years we have come a long way. If I mess up stuff and even if the rest of the family is mad at me, he would stand by me and say bachi hai, it's ok. It feels very good, I can't explain. He is the one that turns away courier delivery boys saying.. "we already have many sarees, this isnt our package, kisi aur ko de do", but when ma goes to Kolkata he calls her everyday and first question is "did you shop for chinni yet? Puja is approaching, Get her good stuff, she will be happy ". We are the team that decorates garden, light our house and he is around to help me in all my childish projects. We do have heated conversations, especially around chemical compositions, vinegar, fertilizers, etc. But immediately we resolve it over chai, the cooler one of us offer to the heated one of us, that's about it. He made me this yummy upma this weekend after I woke up late after late night movie. Always a smile. Always blessings. We trust each others intent and that has removed any differences of opinions at all. Whether or not baba was unhappy in the beginning, I am unaware but I never felt even one bit of it since we met. All he wants is I be myself, the way I gelled within the family instead of trying to create one on my own terms. And during mahalaya when I wake up and birendranath version of mahalaya, he just chokes and smiles and blesses me with all his heart. Patideb and I have tough goals to meet when it's our turn as "in laws" but hey we have a wealth of knowledge and experience, right at home. After all that's why they say home is the best institution. My friend baba.

#debsaristories #thankful #onlineshopping #nomakeup Not that I am not thankful everyday, but certainly a long pending write up to share thankfulness for all the entrepreneur women that are the reason behind our saree collection, that have solely tirelessly created a brand, a space, an identity and most importantly numerous long lasting relationships. Wearing a silk kota saree which perhaps is my first time online purchase after I moved to USA. And then there was no turning back.

 But when I pause to think of the amazing ladies behind the names, the Facebook pages, the messenger contacts, there is enormous hardwork, day and night efforts tending to this baby, sleeplessness, sometimes leading to ill health.. it's a lot. Everytime we see a saree uploaded on our favorite Facebook page, we are immediately tempted to play "fastest finger first" we dont realize if its day or night for the other person. we just ping. And guess what? The response is immediate (although I always expect it delayed by few hours). Then I started realizing in my intent not to forget or miss the product I am beginning to become a rude customer. I then started being mindful and would ping during my night time which is day time in India. Guess what? These amazing ladies are more busy creating wonders working with karigars and dealing with real world problems. The more I learn from your lives the more I respect you all. Many of you deal with customers one to one instead of deploying others in your place. That's because we want you and you know us by instinct. And all you expect in return is love in the form of pictures, that's it? I mean seriously... how sweet is that! The few that I got close to in the process immediately know my taste and my dislikes. They get me what i want even before I can wish for it. They always stretch and go extra mile without asking. i feel so lazy and rude compared to you. Come on, can you ever tell a grocery shopkeeper to open doors at midnight just because you liked something in his shop and want "more pics" or "more colors"? (S)He will smack us out. I can go on and on but it will be less. I couldn't exist in such amazing groups posting pics without you. You all have my unconditional love and many best wishes all the time.

#debsaristories #memories Another Sravan month thamboolam and yes happy janmashtami too! I couldn't do justice to the saree today. It's a simple organza with silver weave but very pretty in person. I am sure someone else could have carried it off much better than me. Exhausted work week. Just the enthu doesnt die that's all. And I know many like me who wait to drape that perfect saree for the perfect occasion and for the perfect pic to post in Sareespeak. Kabhi tareef mile to sahi nahi to hum phir chale apne pyar mein koshish karne. Do you store the most important memories in the most important part of the brain? I do.

There are certain events I refresh time and again so I dont forget them in old age. I am sure you may have noticed too, when elders lose memory due to old age they often forget their recent memories but always remember their past, especially childhood and their friends, family and events of those times. It must be something amazing about childhood that the brain conveniently stored such memories which often come back only in old age. Now, we all will go through it one day, I think if we treat every day as childhood, chances are we will remember this day too! Perhaps it had to do with the carefree life as kids, which as we gro up gets masked with worldly burdens. Some of my best memories are not in "teens" but in "ties". I dont want to lose them. They are dear to me. I want to hold on to them so I keep refreshing them time and again Oh yea one last thing. Dance is apparently good way to keep up with memory during old age because it involves movement, timing, thinking - full body and mind workout.

#debsaristories Indianness isn’t a country. It’s a habit. Indianness isn’t also about a day, it’s about everyday. I missed recent milestones like Handloom day and Independence Day for draping sarees but catching up today in a simple, light handloom multi colored uppada cotton saree! Wah a perfect drape for a 100F day. Teamed with simple ilkat cotton blouse. Been wishing for uppada silk from a long time and haven’t been lucky to find ‘merawala ‘ yet, well I am happy with this cotton version in the meantime. Migration doesn’t change certain things. Migration allows carrying pollen from one place to another so there can be fruits. Migration allows the birds carrying seeds to drop it elsewhere so new crop could grow. That happens with us too. I remove footwear instinctively although many homes allow footwear inside and store them in bedrooms. I believe that some germs are hard to fight and it’s best to leave our egos and footwear at the door as we enter home (our or others). That’s my indianness At the same time I don’t have a problem cooking and storing food to be eaten as leftovers the next day. I don’t stick to ‘giving away alias wasting’ food just because we couldn’t consume it same day. I guess in olden days there wasn’t a good system to preserve food for later consumption and the tropical weather doesn’t help much. That’s when we learn from what’s applicable and sensible today. That’s still my indianness I listen to old patriotic songs almost every other day just because I relate to them. Hey but I do enjoy the Bailamos, MJ and Ricky Martin as much as I heard them growing up. Showing respect to tools of trade including computers and books, valuing money, izzat for elders, automatically assuming our friends kids as our extended family, showing up at friends place without an appointment, sitting and sipping chai pakora, enjoying a non brainy masala mass movie and clapping with the audience, cheering for cricket team... koi indianness kaise chodega? You can do blood transfusions but can’t still get rid of it. Indianness is everyday. So is any day where you have chosen to settle for good. America, UK, UAE, Australia etc etc. to each their own. Just because one adopts a different custom or culture doesn’t make them less patriotic and vice versa. So long as we learn from the good we see around us and use it for good- it’s all good!

Pujo around the corner and first things first! My shakha pops already adorned my wrists. It’s reminder of the good times to come and memories to be made. It’s time for my favorite shaktiswaroopini to visit the earth again and to hit soul music with the conch shell that informs - she has arrived. Maa ashcheyn.

#debsaristories #varalakshnivratham I don't miss a chance. Saree pehene aur pehnaane ka. Of course I wished to continue celebrating this puja even after my marriage to bangali babu. I was always amused dressing up ma Lakshmi as a kid too. May goddess bless us with some sense and perhaps some maturity like the rest of the animals in the planet. Think about it, God created elephants. Elephants dint go create crazy automobiles that polluted the planet God created lions. Lions dint go create concrete jungles in the name of gated communities and neighborhoods! God created birds. Birds dint go create airplanes and drones to disturb their own ecosystem God created fishes and marine life. They dint go and mess the ocean bed with plastic waste and toxic dump. God created them all to preserve nature and then he created man, supposedly most intelligent of them of all who ended up destroying them all. How on earth are we superior by any way at all? Lions eat other animals, that dint change since evolution, animals eat insects or fodder, that dint change either. They continued to be who they are. The greedy one is the homosapien. He wouldn't stop, for nothing! On he goes every minute on his path of (self) destruction. I loved Lion King movie. These were my thoughts watching it.

#debsaristories #expectations Shravan mash Friday. Red matka silk and jamdani muslin pallu (the pic doesnt show the intricate sequins and weaving right?) I havent been writing my heart and mind out recently. Some thoughts are precious when left silent. I would be lying of I say I have no expectations at all from anything and anyone! Totally untrue! Socho? Post daala in social media to we want likes and comments, saree drape kiya we want compliments, office mein acha kaam kiya to we want recognition, even at home.. we expect love. we expect kids togrow up and remember us to be good parents. We expect parents to remember we are good children. We expect. Every action has equal expectation. We get.some, we fail most. Absolutely fail in most. But, we dont take a lesson from those failures, and we continue to expect. I am yet to meet the soul that is able to conquer this greed of life and what makes them happy? I guess expectations aren't as bad as self sympathy or depression of their expectations not being met! I fall trap too. I have accepted I am human. Very ordinary human that too. I think so long as our expectations dont hurt or come the way of others happiness, perhaps it's ok to deal with it by ourselves. Right?