Page 24 - Masala Lite Issue 164 August 2024

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reuse it another time. So you decide to stick the bindi
along the side of your mirror and “deal with it later” until
you have a dotted collection growing there. Only when
you do try to remove it, you now have the problem of the
super sticky bindi glue causing unsightly marks all over
your mirror. But you can always deal with that later too.

Heavy Indian Outfits Falling Off the Hanger
There needs to be a whole wing in our house dedicated
An unreformed party girl and mother to keeping our Indian clothes, or perhaps we should rent
of two,writer, editor and observer out storage space for them. The sheer volume, size and
Sumati Huber tries to details of the outfits are such that even normal clothes
make sense of our unique hangers cannot sustain their weight. Trying to fold a
Thai-Indian society and the aunties massive lehenga skirt requires a personal trainer to help
that she will one day become. you lift the different sections. The only feasible option
is putting our Indian attire in large garment bags, but
fitting all the elements in there is like trying to cut roti
with a knife and fork — impossible. So, we just stuff the
What a Lazy Indian Girl’s Room Looks Like clothes in our closet the best way we know how, and
hope it works out because chances are we wouldn’t dare Things You Don’t Get Rid of, “Just in Case”
Being an Indian girl is not always easy. We are required to repeat the same outfits anyway.
to conform to many cultural expectations and be Remember those baggy kurtas your aunt gave you so
domesticated as well. Part of that means maintaining ‘Inappropriate’ Items Hidden in the Back of you would look more presentable at the mandir? Or the
our bedrooms and keeping it tidy. But that’s not always a Drawer stacks of mismatched plastic bangles your well-meaning
the reality when your room becomes your sanctuary relatives brought back from India so you would always
to unwind, relax and escape the world. Here are some On the surface it looks innocent: a drawer with your have something on your wrist? Or the camera, lighting
elements you will find in a lazy Indian girl’s room: folded pyjamas. But lurking underneath the innocuous equipment, and tripod you purchased when you decided
items we have our ‘inappropriate’ things that we would to be a fashion influencer for one week? Yes, all these
Bindis Stuck Along the Side of The Mirror never want our parents to see. Skimpy bikinis reserved items you will never use are cluttering up your space
for beach trips with your friends, sheer crop tops you because you think you may need it again one day. You
After being forced to transform into our best Indian would never dare put in the wash at home, a necklace know you will never dare to appear in public with that
selves for the many society functions we attend, there’s your non-Indian boyfriend gifted you…No one would frumpy kurta that makes you look completely out of
the conundrum of where to put our bindi when we are ever guess what’s hiding in there. You tense up every touch with style, and you already have your go-to wrist
done using it. Your room obviously looks like it was hit time the drawer is opened for your freshly-laundered stack that you wear daily. Perhaps you will only put on
by a monsoon with the makeup, jewelry and outfits pyjamas to be put back, but feel a sigh of relief when these pointless things if you were filming a what not to
you rifled through to get ready, and in that mess, you it’s closed again without fuss. Make sure to warn your wear video, but that will also require you to sort through
definitely misplaced the bindi packet. But it would be a maid that this drawer is off-limits and she never needs the tangled cords of your discarded video equipment,
waste to throw the bindi away because you can definitely to reorganise it, let alone report anything to your mom. and who has time for that?.

MASAL A LITE ISSUE 164 - AUGUST 2024