HAUTE, HIGH & HEADY

MARRIAGE, MOTHERHOOD AND MAKING THE MOST OF LIFE... HELLO! CATCHES UP WITH CLOSE FRIENDS ANJUM JUNG, ANU MEHTA, VAISHNAVI REDDY AND SHAISTA BALJEE, AS ANISHA BHANDARY HOSTS AN INTIMATE HIGH TEA FOR THE BENGALURU LADIES

- NAYARE ALI

There's a flurry of activity at Bhandary Mane, a 45-year-old imposing bungalow on Bengaluru's Sankey Road. Five prominent society ladies, each successful in their field of work, gather at the classic Art-Deco home, owned and designed beautifully by Lata Bhandary, an eminent personality herself.

HELLO! is invited as Anisha Bhandary, Lata's daughter and a Bengaluru-based luxury consultant, plays host to her friends for high tea, the picture of bonhomie around a table laden with delicious goodies. We have with us Anu Mehta, co-founder of a lighting brand; Shaista Baljee, the chief of an academics-focussed firm; baker-turned-mom Vaishnavi Reddy; and Anjum Jung, the founder and managing director of a design house.

Champagne flows through the afternoon, as these fetching women exchange notes on the finer things in life, marriage, and more, striking a pose like naturals when the camera turns their way. HELLO! catches their camaraderie.

Share your top tips to host a party at home.

Anisha: The warmth of hosts will put guests at ease naturally. Give them your complete attention. The menu must be planned keeping in mind their dietary preferences. Keep it simple, without too many choices. Also, a well-lit room and music to the guests' preferences make all the difference.

Anu: Invite people who get along well, and keep the formality to a minimum. Good food, music, and good company are a must!

Shaista: I enjoy entertaining. It does help that I'm married to a hotelier. I also grew up seeing my mum entertain with attention to detail and special emphasis on the presentation of the food. Mood lighting with candles also matters. The right music peps up the ambience, along with happy hosts.