Why women are angry and other big stories to read this week in Lounge

Outrage is everywhere. On social media, on the streets, on television debates, we dig in our heels and assert our positions on religion, morality, sexuality, even whether delivery persons should be allowed to use the elevator. But rage, that simmering intense and often unexpressed fury over inequality and unfairness, is less obvious. Women, especially, carry rage and generational trauma that slow boils against the everyday indignities they endure—and it’s always been a bad, shameful and terrible thing to show it. That’s been changing in small ways over the last few years. On Reels, in film, books and shows, women are delivering monologues, practicing acts of microfeminism, or allowing their rage free rein—as Shephali Bhatt reports. They’re not righting a wrong, extracting revenge or delivering justice for society at large—there’s no moral overtone. It’s angry, it’s fun, it’s caustic and it’s also wild. Their anger is against the gender pay gap, having to give up a toy—or an education—for a brother, harassment on the street, shouldering most of the household load, everyday misogyny, the lack of dignity. Women live their lives through a series of negotiations, and they’re finally talking about it. A companion piece by Swarna Rajagopalan explains how women’s anger is all consuming, leaving space for little else. This issue of Lounge has turned out to be a medley of anger, ranging from frustration to fury. One writer expresses her displeasure over restaurants squatting on seats instead of giving diners a good experience. Another reviews I Am On The Hit List, a book by American author Rollo Romig about the assassination of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, an incident that stirred up a lot of rage, some of it misdirected, a lot of it real. Lounge columnist And then there is also some joy—shows and films to watch, spring wines to buy, and weekend brunch ideas.

Why this is the season to stop shopping

March marks the true beginning of the fashion year—designers finish unveiling their fall/winter collections, and all things spring reach the store. It’s a time when the urge to refresh one’s wardrobe feels almost instinctive. Yet, advises Sujata Assomull, against giving in to the urge to buy a new wardrobe. The global fashion industry is in a state of flux and many international fashion houses are appointing new creative directors. So rather than buy clothing that could soon been out of style, use this time to pause and reconsider how you want to build you closet and buy more mindfully.

This Indian hiked to the South Pole to raise awareness about mental health

Even as he settled into work as a financial analyst in the US, Satish Gogineni’s world came crashing down when his mother died by suicide in 2011 in India. In nature, he found the strength to come to terms with his loss, and climbed climb mountains such as Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood and Mt. Shasta. Last year, he decided to hike to the South Pole to raise awareness about depression and mental health. Shail Desai meets Gogineni and finds out more about his climb as well as how he trained for it.

Apps to divvy up the bill and do a lot more

It’s hard to imagine planning a trip with friends without getting everyone to download Splitwise to share expenses. It’s become the go-to app for expense tracking among young urban Indians—as well as a bit of a cultural phenomenon. It appears in travel reels, fuels tweets, acts as a memory log of holidays, and inspires Spotify Wrapped-style spending analysis among users who assign a personality type to their friends based on how they use the app. It’s also spawned a series of Indian apps claiming to divvy up the bills more efficiently. For the many challengers to Splitwise, the real hurdle isn’t building a better app but marketing it to users, writes Shephali Bhatt.

25 years of India's fashion week

Next week, Lakmé Fashion Week, in collaboration with the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) and Reliance, will mark its 25th anniversary with a five-day showcase at Mumbai’s Jio World Convention Centre. It's played a huge role in bringing order, formality and creating an industry around a disorganised, individualistic sector but two big tasks lie ahead: including more young talent and capturing the Indian pret market, reports Pooja Singh.

Byte-sized actions for mindfulness

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, distracted or disconnected but you can incorporate small, simple practices seamlessly into your day, no matter how packed your schedule might be. If the day's load gets overwhelming and you can't spare more than a few minutes, byte-sized activities like savouring your cup of tea or doing a five-senses check in can help centre you, writes meditation teacher Raman Mittal. Instead of thinking you need to set aside 30 minutes for meditation, you can practice mindfulness in just a minute or two. It’s about finding opportunities to pause, breathe and notice what’s happening around you and within you. Over time, they help you build a habit of mindfulness that becomes a natural part of your day.

A Dehradun festival to celebrate food stories

Literature and Dehradun have always been intertwined, with authors like Ruskin Bond and Stephen Alter immortalizing the hills. And the first edition of the Dehradun Food Literature Festival aims to bring this connection to life with storytelling around culinary history, regional cuisines and the evolution of dining out. A collaboration between Shruti Gupta, founder of Monsoon, and food consultant Rushina Munshaw-Ghildiyal, the festival will feature conversations with food writers, anthropologists and historians, writes Avantika Bhuyan. The speakers include Rana Safvi, Sadaf Hussain, Kalyan Karmakar, Nikhil Merchant and Anubhav Sapra, among others. “I hope to see the festival connect divergent perspectives and evolving mediums and weave a wonderful new narrative around food," says Munshaw-Ghildiyal.

Are you wearing the right sunscreen?

It’s summer and the sun is beginning to beat down, making sunscreen essential to your daily routine. Sunscreen is needed to protect the skin against UVA and UVB damage, which can result in premature ageing, sunburn, tanning, pigmentation, and even skin cancer. Sunscreen and sunblock, which have SPF (sun protection factor) and PA rating (for UVA protection), prevent the rays from reaching the deeper layers of the skin or reflecting the radiation. But picking the right one can be a confusing since there are many different brands and types on shelves. Dhara Vora Sabhnani speaks to experts to find out how to choose sunscreen and how often you need to re-apply it to protect yourself.