My Desi Aunty Top -

The bindi is not a dot; it is a targeting system. A "Top" Aunty aligns her bindi with the bridge of her glasses. She uses it to stare directly into your soul when she asks, "You look thin. Are you eating? Or are you on that diet?"

Florals? No. Too basic. Polka dots? For children. The true "Top" Aunty wears abstract geometric chaos. Think neon pink intersecting with mustard yellow zig-zags, or a pattern that looks like a Rorschach test designed by a cricket bat manufacturer. If your shirt doesn’t give someone a mild headache when they stare too long, it is not "Aunty Top" material. my desi aunty top

The Top Aunty’s stove always has one pot simmering. It might be lentils, it might be bone broth, or it might be a mystery masala she invented at 6 AM. She will force-feed you this. "Eat, eat, you are looking like a stick." The bindi is not a dot; it is a targeting system

If you visit her house and she doesn't shove a thelai (plastic bag) of leftover sev or chakli into your hands as you leave, she is a Junior Aunty. The Top Aunty ensures you gain 2kg just by stopping by for 5 minutes. In Western media, the mother/aunt figure is often a pushover. In Desi culture, the "My Desi Aunty Top" is the backbone of the diaspora. Are you eating