Porcelain skin, hourglass body, pearl white teeth and lustrous hair may be the ideal definition of ‘beauty’ for most.

We beg to differ.

I am sure our tribe will have a lot of takers out there.

(A Srishti Nadhani and The Bong Munda collaboration feat. Ornaete by Radhika Joshi. )

For us, beauty is beyond all the above mentioned! Beauty is in the goodness of a human being, their spirit, their thoughts.

Some choose to do it.

Some have no option but to do it. 

Chemotherapy, PCOS, Heredity, Vitamin B deficiency, lack of proteins, a mere play of hormones, stress(both emotional and physical), Hypothyroid, Anaemia: The reasons for hair loss could be many more. The question here is, does a head full of hair, or its absence make you beautiful?

Let’s give you the back story.

I was born with scanty hair due to some pregnancy complications during my birth, topped with a lot of the above mentioned factors while growing up. Always considered myself UGLY, weirdly bald and not fitting in. A part of me always wanted to be conventionally beautiful because the glossy magazines dictated so. A decade of my post-puberty period passed just like that.

Cut to my early twenties, after returning from studies and work and back to my hometown, I started experimenting with the little bit of hair that I had on my head and trust you me; I loved every bit of it for the confidence it instilled in me.

After about two years of even fancier haircuts, there was nothing else left for me to experiment with. Next best step: GO BALD OR GO HOME.

I opted for the former, BUT only out of my choice.

Pushpak aka The Bong Munda loved my new look and felt quite strongly for all the people who don’t have a choice but to do it out of compulsions. This brave boy decided to shave off his head full of lustrous hair as a tribute to all those people who are made to feel un-beautiful. BRAVO!

And that’s how the story begins.

Our definition of beauty is something you may be able to resonate with, or not.

Beauty is about laughing out loud.

Beauty is  radiating positive energy and #goodvibes only!

Beauty is in honesty.

Beauty is in accepting all your irks and quirks.

Beauty is in kindness, a loving heart and generosity.

Beauty is in seeing the good in others.

Beauty is in humility.

Beauty is respecting everyone.

Beauty is standing up for the right.

Beauty is guiding the ones who are lost.

Beauty is within you, beauty begins with you, beauty is YOU.

That dude at the departmental store, selling you a certain cream with a gradient colour chart doesn’t decide if you are beautiful. He is merely doing his job and trying to pay his bills.

The Masterjee at the Ladies’ Tailor Store around the corner, doesn’t have the right to decide what should be your perfect measurements. He isn’t the one to set parameters of beauty.

You set your own parameters for beauty is only subjective; 2 + 2 always make four! Beauty is a far more complex set of permutations and combinations.

This post in collaboration with The Bong Munda and Ornaete is a tribute to all those brave-hearts who have tried defying society’s definition of beauty. A lift-me-up post for all those fighters who have temporarily succumbed; you will succeed beautiful!

Really hoping this post made you smile. If not so, at least made you think.

What does #Beauty mean to you? Share your views in the comments below.

Photography by Abhijnan Rubai Bose.

Until Next Time.

Lots of Love,

Srishti!