That reflection which transformed me from a girl to a lady!

We all grew up playing with our mother’s dupattas and sari when she was not around, trying to drape that around us, parading in front of mirror and fantasizing about the time when we will grow up enough to wear them for real. I still remember when my grandmother used to help me for draping the sari around my waist, called me a bride and then I used to blush! Though this was all for her personal amusement but I enjoyed each and every moment and always thought about the day when I will be mature enough to wear a sari by my own.

There must be rare an Indian girl who doesn’t remember the first time she wore a sari or indeed, the first sari she ever wore. That is quite a sense of occasion for a girl. But that was just the playtime. Wearing a sari out in the public is really a serious stuff. And especially with heels! Choosing between cotton and chiffon, plain or printed, traditional or indo-western, nothing is less than a ‘dharam-sankat’ for girls. Altogether the decision about the right color is a big deal. But once it is on you, you can’t describe the feeling in words.

The first time I wore a sari for a wedding, the wedding became more than that. It became an occasion which I want to embrace every bit of it. I can’t quite explain the thrill I felt when it was finally on me. Looking myself in mirror, giving the final touch, it seems perfect on me. I never thought it will look that much good. I realized that, I never felt so beautiful, or even elegant in my entire life. As a teen, I was looking like a grown up. I stood straighter and gazed at myself in the mirror, as it was some unknown stranger but beautiful. That one reflection, transformed me from a girl to a lady.

My story is not unique. Ask any Indian girl, she will have the similar experience. It can either be a family function or wedding in the neighbourhood, a school farewell or a religious festival. Even the process itself is marked by a big sense of occasion. Everyone has different opinion about the sari, the kind of blouse and even about the pallu (ulta or seedha). Elder sisters or mothers fuss around until the sari is finally draped around your waist. The grandmothers in the background get a bit teary after seeing you in the attire. And more and more selfies are need to be taken, of course to mark the ocassion ;p

But nowadays, every girl prefers to wear western, jeans and shirts, skirts and salwar-kameez, short dresses or suits. We remarked sari to the category of ‘special occasion wear’. We fold it nicely and closed in a cupboard that only opens up twice in a year hardly. It’s actually not wrong because we find western attire a bit comfortable for our daily routines. But you must find some time to open up that cupboard, find a perfect sari for normal routine sometime. And I guarantee it will feel like heaven. In metros, malls where everyone is wearing only western, it will feel different, beautiful. After all sari is the most elegant, though sexiest attire. It does truly justice with the curves too ;p

P.S : Sari covers the right amount and exposes the right amount!