NEW LIGHT

FOR THE PAST five years, I have yearned in a way that would qualify as 'spiritually Gen Z', a high-schooler pining after a crush conjured up entirely in my mind.

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Finally, in November, the fantasy came to life—and did not disappoint. Both flirtations were brief, each lasting no more than 72 hours. But Chettinad, the land of cassata cottages and iron-willed achis, has firmly embedded herself in my soul.

From my air-conditioned office hoisted high above a concrete cacophony, I replay a hot afternoon spent walking down streets where the only sounds were the screech of parrots dive-bombing into tamarind trees and the crunch of gravel under my leather sandals. In Chettinad, time trips and falls into itself. Shiny SUVs whiz past patinated mansions. Traditional sadhyas now boast vegan and gluten-free options. A closer inspection of centuries-old portraits reveals styling choices that would feel completely fresh in a magazine editorial (turn to page 162 and see if I'm exaggerating).