Tales from the life of a palindrome: The 100 Saree Pact and my 26/100 Saree story

I joined the 100 Saree Pact in March 2015. A simple pact between two women in Bangalore who decided to wear sarees at least twice a week, and so a 100 in the year and to keep some accountability, document their saree and its story on Social Media ...just to bring the sarees out of the closet and wear them more often . Lo Behold it found a cult following , me included and we are now a family of thousands of women from all over the world , young and old , draping our sarees and telling their stories and sharing them .

When I posted this , my sister said, blog it . Its well said . I find myself revelling in my sarees and their stories and their memories and the retelling . Its given me a nice purpose in life and I have made many friends who share this madness. We are learning about weaves and weavers and their plight and committing to help the creators of our beautiful sarees...I find it a great stress buster .

So now that I have found my lost blog , let me post this . Written on 26th April 2015. Maybe more will follow ...

#100storypact 26/100 :

A classic Garhwal cotton in a pale beige, with a silk magenta border showcasing the traditional Zari weave that sets apart the Garhwal Saree. .This beauty is at least 20 years old and washed and starched and well over those two decades. It was precious because it was expensive (Unless there was an occasion, one only bought simple, inexpensive cotton sarees na – even for birthdays) and I saved it for very special occasions. Once I dropped some gravy on it; at a dinner with my husband’s office colleagues and I remember how much care and effort went into getting rid of that stain . I love the saree even more now for that. Talking of my husband I must also add another “specialness“ to this saree. It was bought for me by my husband while he was on official tour in Hyderabad.(My only accessories as by now you all know are earrings and these are some lovely Miney ka kaam waaley i found in Hyderabad two years ago) In all our 40 odd years of wedded bliss this is the second of the only two sarees he has ever bought for me!! And that’s not because he does not like to buy me sarees; he’s that perfect husband who knows I am that imperfect wife who is fussy and choosy about the sarees she wears. And even more perfect for he has no qualms in letting me choose the clothes he wears!! And this cool guy turns an even cooler 70 tomorrow so I thought today’s Saree and it’s story should be his.

So here goes : 41 of those 70 years he has spent with me and for that alone he deserves an award . We had first met briefly at a common Uncle and Aunt ‘s place ( my Athai / Bua was married to his Mama) in Bombay one October afternoon . This was after our Horoscopes had been matched and as we left for Bombay from Delhi , the two of us ; my Ma and I , I think my Ma was most relieved that the “boy” was a good 6ft something to my 5ft 7”. We had seen photographs of each other of course and just the fact that we were going for this face to face stuff meant there was no reason to say No. Nevertheless, when this tall pleasant looking guy walked in it was reassuring to see a wide smile on his face which reached his eyes and stayed there for the rest of the evening . We were allowed a little walk around Dadar TT Circle and a little tete a tete in the 6×4 Bombay Balcony of my Aunt’s flat in Hindu Colony and the fact that he listened to Elvis, The Beatles and B B King seemed to make it bearable that he did not read – no, he did not read books !! Not P G Wodehouse , not the odd Edgar Wallace and not even the random Agatha Christie . He asked nothing of me but his aunts and cousins made up for his reticence. So that was that and the wedding date fixed for four weeks later. And he came to Delhi and we got married and then he brought me to Bombay. (after a honeymoon in Nainital where he made me climb mountain after mountain) All in the space of 40 days and now it is 40 years and more since; during which he has given me two really awesome sons who are our joy and pride and given me his love for his city. It did not take too long for Bombay to replace Delhi in my heart (My soul still belongs to Delhi I must confess ) for he showed me what Bombay was and what it could become to me if I only allowed it to reveal itself to me . A brief sojourn in South and North America when the boys were very young as were we and then after being tossed about a bit in the rough seas of life overseas we came back to this crazy island city and picked up the pieces of our lives ….If today I am what I am it is majorly because he has let me become that. Early enough in our marriage I realised he wanted to change nothing in me. He just let me be. I still struggle to return the favour to him. To let him be. That is his greatest greatness . Oh yes , there have been many wars and battles and I swear I could have throttled him with great glee many a time . But then these have been like those gravy stains on the Garhwal . Carefully and lovingly taken care of , making the fabric of our relationship smoother and stronger. Sounds mushy ? What to do ? He makes me mushy …Happy Birthday to my old man …