Ready to embrace the romance of 'rani pink'

When I got married, my trousseau was nothing short of a vibrant showcase of Indian textiles.

- Poonam Khaira Sidhu

When I got married, my trousseau was nothing short of a vibrant showcase of Indian textiles. Each sari lovingly handpicked by my mother was a masterpiece - Odisha's Ikats, Maharashtra's Paithanis, Andhra Pradesh's Pochampallis, Tamil Nadu's Kanjeevarams, Assamese Muga silk, Mysore silk, and Rajasthani Bandhanis. It was as if she had raided every state with a vengeance. The pièce de résistance, however, was the omnipresent "rani pink" colour.

Yes, it was that shocking pink shade with a personality so loud that it could have its own reality show. My mother, a quintessential Virgo with an unshakeable belief in the magic of all things feminine, had an unapologetic love for pink. Not just any pink, but "rani pink", the boldest, brightest hue in the spectrum. She probably thought that draping me in it was akin to adorning me with a layer of confidence and feminine magic.