Sonali's Society

A tale of two cities

Amid a glittering sea of SoBo socialites last week, I found myself drawn not to the usual dazzle, but to a man with two impeccable brooches pinned to his shirt. Dressed entirely in black, fashion designer Nachiket Barve sported almost-identical jewelled lizards — poised as if mid-crawl toward his collarbone. To the untrained eye, they were twins.

Surabhi and husband Nachiket Barve

To him, they were a private dialogue between continents. But, of course, there are no private dialogues when yours truly decides to go digging, and so we discovered this tale. Accustomed to accessorising his mostly monochromatic wardrobe with beautiful baubles, Barve bought the first emerald-encrusted brooch in Jaipur. Three years later, in a separated-at-birth story, he discovered its sapphire-studded twin in a tiny bottega in Florence. Now Barve wears them together deliberately: Indian and Italian examples of craft without borders and beauty without allegiance. 

As a small aside, I must mention another man whose jewellery collection could put a queen to shame. Couturier Abu Jani doesn’t just do bling — he does pure brilliance. Perhaps it isn’t a coincidence, then, that Barve began as his mentee, at atelier Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla.

Of birthday bumps and stumps

There were no ‘fat ladies’ or bingo callers around as former India wicketkeeper-batsman Farokh Engineer turned 88 on February 25. At a birthday bash hosted by Auduth Timblo and wife Anju at their Araqila resort in Vengurla, the entertainment included cake, champagne and a side of cricket.

Dilip and Manali Vengsarkar

Leading from the front was former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar, who took the opportunity to revisit his batting skills, while Engineer kept wickets. Gleefully, we watched Vengsarkar off drive just like he did at his peak — but were even more chuffed to hear this bit of high praise as the shot penetrated the imaginary field: “Manali bats well,” he said of his wife. It seems some talent clearly runs in the family.

Faux is the real deal

Pia Trivedi

While one segment of society glides through the shaadi and soirée circuit, a few notable souls find their calling in another direction. World Wildlife Day, on Tuesday, had us thinking of a long-legged lass who once owned the runway but has since hung up her heels in favour of some furry friends. Currently overseeing the care of 800-plus animals, former VJ Pia Trivedi serves as a trustee at the Kalote Animal Trust — a shelter whose residents include dogs, cats, cows, buffaloes, goats, pigs, sheep, donkeys, horses, and even birds. Advocating passionately for the trust, which has been operating for almost a decade, Pia continues to raise the bar for what it means to do god’s work. Carving out her niche at the confluence of advocacy and fashion, she also helms a faux leather accessories brand — proving you can have a killer wardrobe without actually killing anything.

Wedding Wows

Before you and I broke out the gulal on Tuesday, tech billionaire Nikesh Arora hosted a Holi party at Bal Samand Lake Palace in Jodhpur on February 26. The soirée was one in a string of memorable events leading up to his daughter Ayesha’s marriage to Jack Hughes.

Jack Hughes and Ayesha Arora

The festivities began with mehendi and dinner in Delhi on February 25, before guests from around the world flew into Rajasthan for a weekend of wonder. It was all private jets and charter flights, with attendees including Gautam Adani, Sunil Mittal, Sundar Pichai, and even United States Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. Mumbai was well represented too — Mukesh and Nita Ambani led the charge. 

A poolside lunch, spirited sangeet, wedding, reception, and after-party rounded off the itinerary, with Hari Mahal, Mehrangarh Fort, and Umaid Bhawan Palace serving as spectacular sites for each celebration. And while a bevy of beauties danced at the sangeet, it was American singer-songwriter will.i.am who stole the show with a stunning performance. 

Great generosity and grand scale underscored the occasion, yet it was something entirely unforeseen that became the main talking point. The groom, as it happens, shares his moniker with an American Olympic ice hockey athlete, and the coincidence had media outlets everywhere rushing to recheck if Nikesh’s new son-in-law was in fact the Olympian himself. Of course, for those in the know (like us), there was nothing to be confused about.

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