India, Feb. 17 -- When I got married, my trousseau was nothing short of a vibrant showcase of Indian textiles. Each sari lovingly handpicked by my mother was a masterpiece - Odisha's Ikats, Maharashtra's Paithanis, Andhra Pradesh's Pochampallis, Tamil Nadu's Kanjeevarams, Assamese Muga silk, Mysore silk, and Rajasthani Bandhanis. It was as if she had raided every state with a vengeance. The piece de resistance, however, was the omnipresent "rani pink" colour.

Yes, it was that shocking pink shade with a personality so loud that it could have its own reality show.

My mother, a quintessential Virgo with an unshakeable belief in the magic of all things feminine, had an unapologetic love for pink. Not just any pink, but "rani pink", the bold...