A whiff of winter

A nippy 1930's December night. A quaint Lucknow bylane resounds with a sonorous of Sarangi escaping the arched ornate windows of an old house.

- KRISHNARAJ IYENGAR

Its soul-stirring strains are serenaded by the roar of 'wah wah' from ardent connoisseurs huddled up for the mehfil. The dusty scent of the narrow muddy lane, the smell of old wood from the tanga, the animalic odour of the seasoned stead patiently awaiting the passenger to get off with a pleasant khuda hafiz only to trot away into the settling mist... ..it's all in a whiff!

From the sherwanis of indulgent Nawaabs and the legendary classical ustads that enlivened their courts, to Yves Saint Lauren T-shirts of strapping Gen Zs, the whiff has come a long way, thanks to the passion of young HR professional turned perfumer, Delhi-based Nabeel Khan. His flagship attar oil Al Aswad bottles it all. A gilt-edged melange of a rich creamy saffron, damask rose, natural Mysore sandalwood oil and high quality aged Indian Oudh, it remains a favourite among young Indians yearning to return to their olfactive roots.

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