This January, we decided to do a hatke trip. Not the usual “chalo sunshine dhoondhte hain” holiday. No beaches. No warmth. No vitamin D. Instead, we decided to voluntarily freeze ourselves in the Arctic , all in the name of watching the Aurora Lights. Naturally, there was scepticism. Mainly from me. I’m not a very fussy traveller, but I do like my comfort, my leisure, and the occasional luxury ,especially when I’m supposed to be relaxing. Cold, darkness, and discomfort didn’t sound like a holiday… they sounded like punishment. But once the decision was made, Kiran promptly announced: “Let’s go to Tromsø, Norway.” And just like that, the remaining three family members took over. In no time, a neat, concise, action-packed (or should I say packed with action) 5-day Tromsø itinerary appeared and we got packing. As our flight approached Tromsø, we started seeing faint green streaks in the sky. Suddenly, the whole flight turned into a school bus ,everyone standing, craning necks, pointing ex...
So it was one of those crisp, golden autumn mornings when the world looks like it’s been filtered through honey. We’d just wrapped up a sweaty but super-fun dance practice with Sujatha — full of dramatic moves, chaotic steps, and some serious “Bollywood-meets-gym” vibes. That’s when Apeksha and Jaydeep dropped their brilliant plan: “Let’s do a photoshoot!” Now, I’m not one to say no to free glamour, so of course, I volunteered as tribute — I mean, as the subject. Enter: The Saree Stylist Extraordinaire All I had to do was stand still, while Jaydeep,who I’m convinced was a costume designer in a past life .. worked his magic. He took a plain old me and wrapped me in nine yards of Narayanpeth silk magic, complete with a stole made of khanache kapad that screamed heritage and elegance. Jaydeep’s attention to detail is something else. He doesn’t just drape a saree; he sculpts it. And the tips he casually shared while doing so — tips I had clearly lived decades without knowing — were...