Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?

Being fair was a badge of honour I carried for the longest time. Especially given how much I hated my body, being fair was then the one redeeming factor in terms of conforming to the “IBS Board” (Indian Beauty Standards, not just irritable bowel syndrome). So what if I didn’t get “skinny genes”, at least I got the “skin genes”. It was never about a comparison or feeling virtuous about my skin tone, it was about having one positive factor for a body that was judged completely “wrong”. So while I admired beauty in every skin tone, my fair skin was a trophy I held quite dear.

An unexpected love story called Khajjiar...

Deodar manor on the left and an epic sunrise ahead - view from the driveway

I rose in love and touched the alchemist,

To never be the same again.

Alone I traversed into the unknown,

Discovered on Earth that there is heaven.

The paradise of adventure and exploration

New places, strange faces reflecting my soul.

Now I see how the moth embraces its annihilation,

The flame so bright dispelling all inhibition.

How can one not fly into that brilliant horizon,

If only for a moment to taste that heady abandon.