Slice of Life: ‘Last X-Mas was my first away from family, I miss my son the most’

I moved to Chennai with my husband in 2011. We are both make-up artists. But, he’s moved back to Darjeeling to take care of our son, who is in Class 8. This is the first year that I am by myself in this city as my entire family — parents, in-laws, husband and son — are in Darjeeling.

I miss home very much. People always associate Darjeeling with the natural beauty or the tea, people don’t know that we have some really good food options too. The momos, especially, are really tasty. Because it’s so cold there, the food is made spicy to warm you up from the inside.

On the other hand, people in Chennai is very traditional in their behaviour. I love to do hair and make-up because it requires a lot of skill. Back at home, people would ask for the latest looks and hairstyles from the newest Bollywood movie. Here, however, people ask for more subdued and traditional looks.

I also love the Kanjeevaram sarees. They’re so beautiful. Many people here wear traditional clothes, while back at home, everyone is dressed in Western clothes in the latest fashion. The city is old-fashioned, and I like it, but I miss my son every day. The realisation hit hardest when — the first time in seven years — I spent Christmas alone here.

My dream is to move back to Darjeeling and open my own parlour. While there are job opportunities available, the pay is quite low at home. I am saving up as much as I can to find a place and start my business.