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A Surprise Birthday Trip to Chandipur
It was, I think, two and a half weeks before my birthday that Tathagata asked me over breakfast whether I could take a leave from work on my birthday. I was immediately excited! Of course I could. It’s my birthday after all. With a hint of smile at the corners of his mouth, he brandished his phone. On the screen were two tickets to Chandipur! I couldn’t be happier! Chandipur is a neatly nested, cozy, sort-of-a beach resort on the Bay of the Bengal. It falls under the Balasore district of Odisha and is a good 16-kilometres away from the nearest railway station. Since the monsoon hadn’t completely left the…
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Letter to a Loved One – Loss of My Sister
I’ve tried to write this post for months. But I wasn’t ready. It’s never easy to write about the difficult parts of your life. Loss of a loved one is hard. It’s natural but it’s hard – even more when it’s untimely. Back in April when we were still hanging on to the celebrations of our wedding day and reminiscing about the beautiful moments, the news hit me hard. It took the wind out of me. Mou didi was my cousin sister. She was already coping with the untimely loss of both her parents when death visited one more time at their home. I have been to their house quite…
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Our Trip to the Botanical Garden – A Day With Nature
Weddings are normally followed by family visits. A new family member is always a person of interest. What’s s/he like? Does s/he feel comfortable and all settled in? Getting to know the new family addition shoots up to the #1 trending event in the family bulletin. Invitations start pouring in by the minute. It’s exciting – visiting new places, meeting new people and getting to know some fun stories. Perks are travel and an overload of delish dishes! So, we reserved a day of every weekend to make the rounds. On one such expedition to Notun Kaka’s place at Shibpur, we decided to visit the Botanical Garden after lunch. Oh…
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The Day After The Wedding (And a Reception Photo Burst)
To be honest, I’ve been a little hungover on the wedding series. It’s such a huge event that it spills beyond the 24-hour-duration that it is allotted. Actually, there are more events in a wedding than just the ones on the D-day. More events naturally mean more pictures (Yay!) So, I thought I’ll do a (sort of) sequel to it. I know you’ve been aching for it like I have. So here goes. Leaving Maa Baba behind is tough. Because if it’s school tomorrow and I haven’t finished the project yet, Maa would stay up all night and finish it for me while I slept soundly. Because if I want…
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A Day to Remember for the Rest of My Life – Part 7
In case you missed, read Part 6 here. I saved the best for the last. 10:15 pm. I was accompanied downstairs by Mitul didi and Pishimoni (Baba’s sister). It was almost time for the wedding to commence. Lagna was at 10:37 pm. Lagna is the holy time to tie the knot. But before that, two events were lined up. Event 7 – Shubho Drishti – This is when the bride and groom see each other for the first time on the wedding day. I was seated on a wooden plank (piri) which was lifted up by my 2 cousins (brothers) and circumambulated around Tathagata 7 times – all this while holding up…
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A Day to Remember for the Rest of My Life – Part 6
In case you missed, read Part 5 here. While sitting on the dais and looking at our guests, I had somehow managed to zone out to my quiet place. It’s like my own little world where I can watch my surroundings from, quietly. No chaos can disturb me. It always calms me down. I needed it at that time. I saw Maa looking at me, smilingly. After a few hours, I wouldn’t be able to look and smile at her whenever I wanted to. What affects a girl the most about her wedding is leaving home. The ache subsides with time, but it never goes away. When I visit home…
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A Day to Remember for the Rest of My Life – Part 5
In case you missed, read Part 4 here. My phone rang. The assistant make-up artist had arrived. We booked Avijit Paul for my wedding and reception looks. Another good decision like Srejon Imagery. He had sent over a talented lady to do my hair and drape the saree. Before the wedding, Avijit Paul had sat with me and discussed the kind of look that we would be achieving. He was very calm and patient throughout and understood exactly how I wanted to look. I wanted to look myself, simple. And he ensured that I did. The result was amazing. I had chosen a pink Benarasi (a type of saree) for the…
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A Day to Remember for the Rest of My Life – Part 4
In case you missed, read Part 3 here. The day was moving ahead too quickly. Event 3. Briddhi – a ritual to offer our homage to our past seven generations and seek their blessings for the holy matrimony. Baba was seated at the ground floor room with the priest. The centre of the room was marked and bounded by four decorated pillars. This was going to be the wedding zone. I sat beside Baba. And the mukut (bride’s headgear for the wedding) sat on top of my head. The priest chanted hymns that we repeated after. It felt like a reverie. Event 4. Gaye Holud – A turmeric and mustard…
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The Rath Yatra Fair – A Riot of Colours
Friday evenings come with a laid-back mood. People usually make plans to meet friends after work or watch a movie or try out a new place in town or spend time with family and so on. This Friday, while talking to Tathagata over the phone after lunch, we decided to go to the Rath Yatra fair. Rath Yatra is a significant 7-day tradition where Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra travel to their aunt’s in 3 beautifully decorated chariots. This marks the beginning of the festival which ends with them returning on the 7th day. People celebrate these 7 days by organizing fairs in different parts of…
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A Day to Remember for the Rest of My Life – Part 3
In case you missed, read part 2 here. We had booked a 9-seater car to commute between our house and the wedding venue, as and when required. It had arrived at 9 am. The 9-seater at 9, as scheduled. The 11 bags took up a lot of space. After a little shifting and adjusting, maa, Adrish, Mitul didi and I were on our way. The location was about a few kilometres from our house – Udayan Sangha Club. A 3-storey building with green walls and long balconies on the top two floors. While this place did house my best day, it failed to deliver on a lot of fronts –…