Rang bhare mausam mein...writes Sarita A Tanwar

On Monday morning, I saw a colleague wearing jewellery and a beautiful white sari with gold accent on it. It was very un-office-y and very unlike her usual understated dressing style. So, I asked, “What’s the occasion?” She said, “It’s Navratri, no? Today, you are supposed to wear white.” To my clueless expression, she  explained, “On each of the nine days of Navratri, you are supposed to wear a specific colour. Today, it is white.” 

Opposed to all this ‘supposed to do’ business, I giggled, “Is there a shade-card available of what shade of white one has to wear? Does it have to be Colgate-white or Nirma’s doodh si safedi?” Her face began to turn a deep shade of red at my questions, so I hurried back to my cabin. Few minutes later, the Fashion Editor strutted in, wearing a crisp new white shirt. Was it coincidence or an ‘Et tu, Brute’ moment? I didn’t want to know.

Before long, I noticed that half of the people on the floor were dressed in white. I was silently judging them, but also thinking, “What a missed opportunity. I could have donned white and sung, “Chandni, Main Teri Chandni,” as husband drove me to work this morning. After all, I can screech as well as Sridevi. It’s a different story that my singing would have led him to crash the car and one of us would have ended up in a wheelchair like Rishi Kapoor in the film.

Shweta Bachchan Nanda once (rightfully) called me A Festival Grinch. So, for the first time in my life, I decided to be a team-player and get caught up in the festival fervour. I felt the need to be colour-co-ordinated with the large population of the city, that I have nothing else in common with. “I still have a few days left. I can catch up,” I told myself. 

My friend Google informs me that the other colours for the rest of the days were — red, royal blue, yellow, green, grey (50 shades optional), orange, white (back in Chandni mode), pink and sky blue.  

I needed a plan. And his MasterCard. My wardrobe is full of only-black, like my soul. And blue (jeans), so at least I am sorted for the seventh day of Navratri. For the rest of the days, I need colourful clothes to blend in. 

I head to Palladium straight from work and came back home laden with bags. In the elevator, I bump into my mother-in-law and her friends dressed in all-white ensembles. The look they gave me, made all my hair turn white. And just like that, I was festival-ready. Jai Mata Di!