| While some returnees complain about needing more closet space, that has not
been a problem for Ms. Vardhan. She
recently moved out of her parents’ house and into a two-bedroom
apartment of her own,
somewhat unusual for a single woman in India. Her
father owns an aviation consulting business and her
mother is a teacher. Her sister lives in London and works as a business
strategy consultant.Standing
in her nearly empty apartment in Gurgaon, a
rapidly growing neighborhood south of New Delhi, she
described
one of her first purchases after arriving home in April.
It was a bright yellow sleeveless cotton kurta with white churidar
pajamas. “I bought several of these
outfits right after I moved back,” Ms. Vardhan said. “And it’s what I
wear on a
regular basis to work.”Kurtas are long
shirts with split front and back panels that usually extend to
mid-thigh; they are worn by both men and women. Churidar pajamas are
light cotton pants with wide
drawstring waists and narrow
leggings that bunch at the ankles.
Together, the pieces make an outfit, churidar-kurta. Like the similar
shalwar kameez, it is both modest
and cool, essential in a place where summertime temperatures routinely
reach 120 degrees. Ms. Vardhan’s pajamas are so lightweight they are see
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