Life & Style

It is cuffing season again — Nature’s annual reminder that humans, like migratory birds and Delhi influencers, become deeply seasonal creatures. The temperature dips, the lighting gets forgiving, and suddenly everyone wants someone to sit beside them on a couch that otherwise feels aggressively large. Sensible people who have spent most of the year insisting they are “very happy alone” begin sprinting into temporary arrangements with the urgency of contestants on a dating show filmed entirely in December.

For the uninitiated, cuffing season is that winter-adjacent window when single people seek short-term companionship — warmth, routine, shared meals, someone to watch bad television with, without the long-term paperwork. It is meant to be a pit stop. What fascinates me isn’t the ritual itself, but how earnestly we misinterpret it.

Nowhere is this clearer than in the great Indian sub-genre of cuffing season: NRI and foreigner season. A friend in Jaipur once told me, with the calm logic of someone who has cracked the code, “I wait all year for winter. That’s when all the foreigners arrive. It’s perfect. You meet for coffee, go out for drinks, have great sex, enjoy the city, and then they leave.” She paused. “No escalation. No confusion. No awkward run-ins at a Diwali party six months later.”

Another friend in Goa swears by dating only people with return tickets. “The expiry date is the romance,” she said. “Nobody’s asking where this is going because everyone knows where it’s going — departures.” There’s something refreshingly honest about this. Temporary arrangements work best when everyone agrees they are temporary. NRIs and visitors come pre-packaged with boundaries. You cannot accidentally build a future with someone flying back to Copenhagen on Sunday.

Things get messier closer to home. A woman I know met someone, who was visiting Mumbai for two months, and did what many of us do: she built a winter narrative. They cooked together, watched films, spent most evenings indoors. “I thought we were doing something cosy and slow,” she told me later. “Turns out he thought we were just hiding from the cold.” When February arrived, so did his sudden interest in “being free again”. She was heartbroken; he was confused. Neither of them was malicious. They were simply operating with different subtitles.

Another friend described cuffing season going spectacularly right. “We met in December, agreed it was casual, and actually stuck to it,” he said. “No future talk or anxiety crept in. It ended in March with a hug and a ‘take care’ text. It was one of the healthiest things I’ve done.” His secret, he claimed, was low projection. “I didn’t imagine who they could become by summer. I just liked who they were on Wednesdays.”

It is not that serious

Of course, cuffing season also produces its own special delusions. Someone else confessed, “If you dance with a person at two weddings and one Christmas party, your brain decides you’re basically married.” Another laughed, “I once got offended that someone didn’t invite me to their New Year’s party. We had been on three dates.” Winter does funny things to perspective.

Part of the problem is that loneliness has become ambient. Not dramatic loneliness, but the low hum of wanting company. Someone to send memes to. Someone to sit beside you while nothing happens. That desire is not wrong, but it does make us over-invest quickly. A friend put it bluntly: “Loneliness makes us eager, and eagerness makes us intense. Intensity ruins perfectly good casual arrangements.”

Cuffing season collapses time. You see someone more often because it is cold, dark, and socially acceptable to cancel other plans. Familiarity accelerates. Suddenly, a person you met two weeks ago feels central to your emotional weather. That is when expectations creep in. And when those expectations are not met, confusion follows.

What we often forget is that cuffing season was never designed for continuity. It is not a trial relationship or a promise of spring. It ia a seasonal companionship experiment. Some people thrive in it. Some people shouldn’t attempt it at all. One woman I know said, “I realised cuffing season isn’t for me because I want something wholesome. Casual makes me anxious.” That is self-awareness.

Others are built for it. A man told me, “I love winter dating. Nobody’s trying to impress. It’s just dinners, conversations, and sleep.” He shrugged. “By March, we both wanted our lives back.”

Maybe that is the real lesson. Cuffing season goes right when we let it be what it is — warm, temporary and unambitious. It goes wrong when we demand permanence from something designed to be fleeting. A small pocket of warmth in a cold stretch. Sometimes, body heat really is enough.

A fortnightly guide to love in the age of bare minimum

Published – December 19, 2025 06:36 pm IST

A large fire which broke out at the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex in Tai Po, Hong Kong, on November 26 sent shockwaves through the global real estate community. The fire consumed seven out of eight blocks of an entire complex and killed more than 150 people.

The incident, stemming from inadequate safety planning and extreme congestion, poses a question that resonates powerfully across India’s fast-growing metros: are we normalising unsafe, over-densified living in the name of affordability?

For India’s real estate sector, this is not a hypothetical concern. It is very real in cities where developers face mounting pressure to maximise space, residents often trade safety for location, and regulatory conversations gain momentum only after disasters make headlines. The widening gap between rapid urbanisation and responsible urban safety demands immediate attention, not just as a compliance exercise, but as a fundamental reimagining of our design philosophy.

Systemic vulnerabilities

Incidents like the Hong Kong fire are not isolated anomalies. They reflect systemic vulnerabilities emerging in densely populated urban centres worldwide — vulnerabilities that are increasingly visible in Indian metros. Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru and other cities are witnessing unprecedented vertical growth, with Floor Space Index (FSI) consumption pushing buildings higher and closer together. In this race for density, critical safety elements often become negotiable commodities.

The compromises are subtle but consequential however. The inadequate spacing between buildings that restricts natural ventilation and fire brigade access, substandard materials chosen for cost optimisation, ventilation systems designed for regulatory clearance rather than actual air quality, and fire exits that meet minimum standards on paper but prove inadequate in emergencies — each compromise, taken individually, may seem minor. But collectively, they create vulnerable living environments where residents are unknowingly at risk, along with long-term financial and reputational impact for the developer.

Cross-ventilation is non-negotiable. Fresh air and occupant health must be foundational priorities. Cross ventilation isn’t merely about meeting building codes; it is about understanding how air circulation patterns change throughout the year. In Mumbai, for instance, wind direction shifts from southwest to northeast across seasons — pre-monsoon, post-monsoon, and during different weather patterns.

Windows must be strategically positioned to capture these changing wind patterns effectively, ensuring that what works for southwest winds in summer also functions when Northeast winds dominate in winter.

Material quality matters as well. While homebuyers with limited vision may prioritise aesthetic appeal, developers bear the moral responsibility to prioritise health and safety through material selection. The quality of glass and aluminium sections has direct implications for energy efficiency and indoor comfort. Thermal breaks in aluminium sections prevent heat transfer between exterior and interior environments, reducing air conditioning loads and improving thermal comfort. Double-glazed windows with low U-value silver coating (now advancing to triple-layer silver coating) significantly enhance insulation while maintaining natural light.

Air conditioning without hot air pockets can prove harmful. Hot air pockets within buildings create discomfort and impede breathing.

Developers should specify chilled water systems with cold water lines, mandating water-cooled compressor VRVs (Variable Refrigerant Volume systems) that don’t expel hot air into common areas or adjacent spaces. This integrated approach to climate control prevents the creation of uncomfortable micro-climates within the building setup.

Emphasis on fire safety

Fire safety deserves special emphasis, as it represents one of the most critical and most commonly compromised aspects of building safety. Several principles must guide responsible development:

Let’s start with material selection. Aluminum Composite Panels (ACP), particularly those with flammable cores, should be categorically avoided. Similarly, buildings must be spaced adequately, not just to meet minimum setback requirements, but to ensure that fire cannot easily spread between structures and that fire brigade vehicles have adequate access.

A gap in system maintenance must be avoided. A persistent challenge in India is the maintenance gap. Developers often install robust fire safety systems — pumps, wet risers, hydrants, sprinklers, extinguishers — but they fail under society management. This gap demands a systemic solution. Building management committees must understand that fire safety systems, including both pumping mechanisms and wet risers, should remain constantly charged through overhead tank connections.

Safety audits must be made mandatory. The solution lies in mandated annual fire safety audits conducted by certified, independent professionals. Retired fire officers with decades of field experience could be licensed as auditors, creating a robust ecosystem where their expertise continues serving public safety. Government enforcement must be strict; societies failing to submit certified audit reports should face meaningful penalties.

Building design must also account for extreme weather events. When typhoons or cyclones approach, building geometry becomes critical. Structures should be designed to divert wind rather than resist it head-on. By channelling wind around and over buildings, developers and designers reduce pressure on glazing and structural elements substantially. Glass thickness and quality must be specified with extreme weather scenarios in mind.

Small efforts such as strategically placed wind turbines that help direct airflow into buildings for natural ventilation, demonstrate how passive design strategies can enhance both safety and sustainability simultaneously. These approaches reflect a developer’s passion for creating genuinely superior living environments.

Overall, responsible urban development requires a future-ready safety framework encompassing design precision, continuous monitoring, and shared accountability across the building lifecycle.

The Hong Kong tragedy should catalyse permanent change in how we conceive, design, and maintain urban living spaces. We have the knowledge, technology, and resources to build safer cities. What we need now is the collective will to prioritise lasting value over short-term gains.

The writer is chairman of The Wadhwa Group.

Published – December 19, 2025 06:35 pm IST

Dipsy’s debut moisturiser Malli Malli.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

There are two impressions inspired by India on Danish restaurant Alchemist’s menu: one takes its cue from pani puri, the other from the dosa. Danish chef Rasmus Munk, however, is yet to visit the country, though he hopes to change that soon, with a tentative trip pencilled in for April next year.

Rasmus Munk

In Copenhagen, Rasmus’s immersive dining experience is known for its scale and ambition. Two Michelin stars, 50 impressions (as the courses are called), and multiple drink pairings come together to form a meal that can stretch to eight hours. Diners are not seated at a single table but move between the Lounge, the Dome and the Balcony, each offering a distinct atmosphere.

A spread at Alchemist.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

1984 novel inspired dish
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Speaking about Alchemist, Rasmus says, “For me, it’s really a way to express myself. It’s a way to be creative and to see food and the restaurant as an artistic medium — one that can convey things I believe are important in society. Like a musician creating an album with 20 songs about different emotions, I see this restaurant in the same way: as a platform to communicate ideas that matter to us.”

Rasmus inspects plating
| Photo Credit:
SOREN GAMMELMARK

At 34, the chef is known for using his tasting menu to provoke thought as much as appetite. One impression, 1984, inspired by George Orwell, is served inside an eye, with diners spooning into a caviar-topped ‘pupil’. Beneath it lies a salad of lobster claw, corn, Swedish chanterelles, crunchy crouton and codfish eye gel. As warnings about digital surveillance go, this one is disarmingly delicious. Another dish — crispy cod cheeks in collagen batter with algae — is designed to resemble plastic. As Rasmus notes, “For me, it’s rewarding when people talk about plastic in the ocean or organ donation, instead of discussing the acidity of a sauce. I think it’s interesting that food can do that.”

More than a meal

Beyond Alchemist, Rasmus is also the founder of Spora, a research lab exploring new food systems. The lab recently launched Notch, a cocoa-free ‘chocolate’ made from spent grain in Denmark. He also runs Junk Food, a non-profit initiative that feeds over 1,000 people daily and has served more than a million meals to date.

Research from Spora often finds its way onto The Alchemist’s menu. This includes space bread designed to be sent into orbit, and a grain-based dessert developed through lab experimentation. “There’s strong synergy between the two kitchens,” Rasmus explains. “At Spora, chefs work closely with researchers. Everything there must be sustainable, scalable and, of course, delicious.”

Inside Alchemist Explore

This grounding in science has led to published research and collaborations with the Gates Foundation and the Novo Nordisk Foundation, including work on converting carbon dioxide into protein.

Feeding people across income brackets is central to Rasmus’s philosophy. At Alchemist, this takes the form of provocation as much as nourishment: jellyfish (considered a pest), freeze-dried butterfly (a protein source), and lamb brain, presented as a call to use every part of the animal. Presentation is integral. In one instance, a chicken foot is served intact, claws included, to prompt reflection on industrial meat production. Many of these impressions unfold beneath the restaurant’s vast dome, accompanied by immersive videos created by its in-house studio, ranging from staring eyeballs to jellyfish morphing into plastic, and even the sensation of being inside a beating heart.

With a global audience — Alchemist is ranked No. 5 on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2025 — cultural responses vary. “The most challenging dish on the menu,” Rasmus says, “is not the mealworms, butterflies, lamb brains or cow’s udder. It’s our noodle.” A cold, sweet noodle soup with a tea-like broth, made from tapioca, often puzzles diners unfamiliar with its chewy texture. “But guests from Thailand, China or Japan love it,” he adds.

Indians, too, are familiar with tapioca, and Rasmus says he is eager to experience the country’s food culture first-hand. “It’s one of the only major food countries I haven’t visited yet, perhaps the most important,” he says. His Nordic dosa uses a five-day fermented batter, filled with Danish Vesterhavost cheese, local ramps and capers. While he has refined a more traditional batter recipe, he is holding off on adding it to the menu until after his visit. “It has the chewiness, acidity, crisp exterior and soft interior,” he says. “But I want to come to India before I serve it at Alchemist.”

Published – December 19, 2025 06:05 pm IST

What is your favourite late night indulgence? A slice of pizza at 2 am while you binge watch a show? A thick slice of decadent chocolate cake? Or is that bag of potato chips calling your name? What India Eats, an annual report brought out by Swiggy in partnership with management consultancy Kearney, says in 2025 — pizzas and cakes in particular are seeing the highest growth across India’s metros in terms of consumption beyond 11 pm. So much so, Indians are enjoying their food not just as cuisine but couture as well. Inspired by designer Judith Leiber’s food-themed handbags and Kate Spade’s take on the crystal studded pizza slice crossbody bag, Indian designers are taking cue and using Indian traditional embroidery and craftsmanship to create their versions.  

Kimaya Singh’s Lays Magic Masala bag
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Mirchi by Kim by Kimaya Singh

Model and entrepreneur Kimaya Singh, who splits her time between New York and India, launched her eponymous brand in 2024, and one of her most Instagrammed products is her blue embroidered chips handbag. “Food is one of those timeless inspirations; it brings people together, sparks conversations, and has this way of being both playful and deeply personal. I grew up eating these snacks in boarding school, a shared nostalgia, a little guilty pleasure that so many of us connect over, so it felt like the perfect entry point.”

A creation by Kimaya Singh
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The Lays Magic Masala bag and the Mirchi Masala bag both crafted with faux leather and painstakingly hand-embroidered with details in glass beads, come with a detachable beaded strap, and a hefty retail tag of ₹41,000. But that has not deterred buyers. In fact, the bags have been restocked multiple times since their launch in 2024. Masterchef India finalist Chef Natasha Gandhi says she is drawn to these bags, and grabs them as soon as her algorithm sends her a pop up ad. “ I bought the Lays and Kurkure bags, just based on reels I saw. I like to incorporate these products into my stories and content, and like supporting smaller brands instead of the imported ones.”

A bag by Puneet Gupta
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

For Kimaya, it is not just about viral content, each bag tells a story of Indian craftsmanship, threaded through nostalgia. “People love that karigars with years of knowledge, precision, and tradition creating something so playful, almost childlike, yet detailed and intricate. That tension between heritage craft and pop culture is what makes these bags stand out. Our strongest roots are in the global South Asian community; but we’re also getting so much love from girls across the US, India, and Europe who might not share the exact nostalgia but still appreciate the beading, and the storytelling behind it.” 

Upwards of ₹41,000. @mirchibykim on Instagram

Puneet Gupta’s creation
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Whispers of Versailles by Puneet Gupta 

For Puneet Gupta, who specialises in elaborate wedding invitations and gifting, confectionery is his new muse. His latest capsule collection is at the intersection of French patisserie and rococo. “The miniature bags are inspired by cakes and pastry shops, and centred around weddings, which is my preferred space. Like the three-tier wedding cake bag, that opens out for the bride to store a few essentials.” With the soft pink and green tiered cake or the bakery storefront bag with colourful cupcakes on display, the details are carefully executed, he says. “Our beadwork draws from traditional South Asian techniques like zardozi and aari, but we adapt them to sculpt three-dimensional textures and vivid motifs. Sometimes, we entertain special requests to match a colour palette, so we can customise the colour of the icing on the cake,” explains Puneet.

A team of seven or eight artisans start with raw sketches, then create prototypes on cardboard to get the shape and proportions just right. Then the bags are created from MDF and fabric. Even the hardware is painstakingly chosen, so the locks are discrete, and do not sacrifice the aesthetic.  Bigger versions of the bags are available as “exaggerated versions for weddings or for photoshoots”.   

Upwards of ₹20,000 on puneetgupta.in

The pizza bag by Varshha Shetty
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Vrrishti by Dr Varshha Shetty

“Everyone wants to make a statement. Food is just another way of expressing yourself,” says Bengaluru-based Dr Varshha Shetty, whose day job left her craving a more creative outlet when she was at home. “I’m a radiologist who got into jewellery and bags for the love of it. I remember seeing the Judith Leiber Swarovski studded bags that Carrie carries in Sex and the City. I thought we could do our own version with semi-precious stones and I launched a few bags in 2024, and they sold out,” adds Varshha.

The Rhinestone collection by Varshha Shetty
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Her Martini clutch, which comes in two metallic tones, is a sculptural piece. “It is more spacious than it looks, fits beautifully on the hand and goes with Indian or Western attire, dressed down or dressed up,” she explains. Which are the most popular from her collection of fries, pizza and Martini glasses? “The cocktail glass for sure,” she quips, though she has a soft spot for the fast food theme bags. “My daughter saw a kid-sized version of a pizza bag and I wanted to carry an adult upgraded version. Our artisans do colour grading using rhinestones and crystals. Each piece takes around three days to craft,” she concludes. 

Upwards of ₹3,050. @vrrishti_byvs on Instagram 

Published – December 19, 2025 05:53 pm IST

Gram Art Project, a rural collective based in Paradsinga village on the border of Madhya Pradesh and Nagpur district in Maharashtra, marks 12 years of sustained community-led work. Today, the village has become a source of livelihood and collective strength for nearly 350 members, most of them women, from 14 neighbouring villages across the two states. The collective brings together artists, artisans, farmers, agricultural workers, weavers and students.

A four-member team from Gram Art Project is in Hyderabad for the Natural Dye Handmade Festival, organised by the India Handmade Collective from December 19 to 21 at CCT Spaces, Council of Telangana in Banjara Hills.

Founded in 2013 by artist Shweta Bhattad, a fine arts graduate from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, the initiative grew out of her decision to step away from a conventional art career. Motivated by the need to connect art with lived realities, Shweta and a group of collaborators began organising art residencies that combined creative practice with discussions on women’s issues, child welfare and farming-related concerns.

Shweta Bhattad explains the alternative ways of farming, living and earning livelihood out of it to government school students of the village. The girls belong to families of farming or have a farm labour background.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“We wanted to address real issues while building skills that support both personal and professional growth,” she says.

The art residencies brought together diverse voices from the community. Using art and performance as tools, participants addressed issues such as open defecation, the lack of safe play spaces, and the need for open dialogue. “The aim was to gradually shift beliefs, create opportunities for ourselves, make informed lifestyle choices, and encourage changes in behaviour and mindset as an ongoing process,” she explains.

Helping each other

Screen printing using indigo
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

With a focus on building internal skills, the collective began with cotton farming and multi-cropping, learning through shared labour and support. Although women form a large part of the rural agricultural workforce, they rarely benefit from crop yields due to limited control. Seed-saving became a turning point, allowing members to reclaim agency while adding natural colour to raw cotton fibres used to make rakhis.

The process also sparked difficult conversations. “Some women questioned the idea of rakhi itself,” says Swetha. “They would say, ‘I run the house. Why do I need protection?’”

Tailoring unit
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Over time, initiatives such as Cotton Stainers, Jungle Jammat and Beejpaatra helped members become local change-makers, embedding sustainability into daily life. What began as seed banks with 20 women across two villages has grown to 350 women from 14 villages. While full-time employment remains a challenge, members now have work for nearly eight months a year.

Organic colour making from roots, leaves, steams, flowers and seeds
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Kambal Ghar, a three-year-old programme, focuses on children’s creative learning. Working with government schools and their own community space, the team encourages children to make paper, clay, natural dyes, tools, performances and stories using materials around them.

For Gram Art Project, art is not a profession alone but a way of living. From seed paper and jewellery to crop-waste acoustic boards, land art and live performances, all work is grounded in social and ecological responsibility. “We’re expressing village life as it is—how it shapes us, and how we shape it,” says Shweta.

Published – December 19, 2025 05:07 pm IST