This is what is inscribed on Ben’s family crest, and to think I only discovered it a month ago — in the middle of refining my baaj.
Do you get asked who your spirit animal is? If you had asked me this even two years ago, I wouldn’t have had an answer. Which is why, I’m not sure whether my spirit has done a bit of evolving in that time (hopefully so), but I’m happy to report that I’m beginning to see my spirit animal now — soaring in the sky — and as you might have guessed by now (not just from the title, but perhaps from my undying love for white) — yes, it is the baaj, or the falcon.
The past year, I’ve been not just creating, but serendipitously spotting all kinds of baaj, everywhere. I've been noticing them in the sky, in books, in mythology, in spirituality, in design and in jewellery — but funnily enough, it only registered after I made my third one and found my fourth while rummaging around Jaipur.
Someone dear to me pointed my attention towards Guru Gobind Singhji also known as the “Chittay baaj waala” or “keeper of the white falcon” — Rustom, the white falcon. I haven’t read much on Sikhism, but this intrigued me enough to promptly pick up a book on the topic, and was verily touched to find what I found.
According to the Khalsa, Rustom represents 8 values that I believe resonate as much today as they probably did when they were written. I aspire to these qualities, although I am sure I fall desperately short. However, these are definitely values that I hope might one day represent Anu Merton as a brand.
Let me try to break this down for you...
It’s fascinating to know that the baaj will never eat what it’s fed — instead, it likes to hunt its own prey. That’s an admirable quality to have in my opinion — animal or human — and I’ve always believed that self reliance is the only way I want to live my life. Of course, a lot of times, I might give into my characteristic pig-headedness when it comes to owning my independence — or like my husband puts it — cut my nose to spite my face, but I try to do better every day.
When I found out that the baaj doesn’t take well to captivity — it either breaks out or dies within — I fully relate to that. If you asked my closest kith and kin to describe me, they’d tell you I love freedom like nothing else; so much so that if there were a community for free souls in this world, I’d definitely feel right at home, but then again, the thought of belonging to a community in the first place doesn’t interest me — that’s how much I love my freedom. The irony is that we’re also social, independent beings, and where would we be if we all didn’t come together, right?
While the falcon flies about two miles high up in the sky, it’s always able to spot the smallest prey, and then precisely swoop down to catch it. I do believe staying grounded and focused is very important, however high you soar, and I’m going to leave this for people who know me best to attest to and vouch for, because in the matter of humility, anything but, would be counterproductive, wouldn’t it? That being said, as deep as I’ve looked within, I’d like to think of myself as a humble person.
Fun fact: a falcon never stays put; it’s always flying off to new lands to tour and explore. I’m not sure as yet how attached I am to my material world, but I know I’m definitely not quit-everything-and-head-to-the-Himalayas-to-lead-a-saintly-life level of detached yet — though I do joke with Ben about being a saint who drinks and listens to her music every evening — how fun!
I see people as individuals who need to do their own thing, and very little people do affects me, other than my square squad. Even then, I like letting people be themselves. But then again I think, who am I kidding? My entire business is based on ornamentation — what could be more materialistic than that? Until I remind myself that for me, jewellery is a medium to evoke feelings and emotions, to make one feel closer to oneself, a friend, family, a country, a culture — jewellery to me isn’t just pretty metal, it’s what you make great memories in.
While all birds fly in the direction of the wind, the falcon goes the opposite way. There’s something to learn from its will to pave its own path.
If I had to stack that up to my life, sometimes, resilience could take the aforementioned ‘cutting my nose to spite my face’ turn, and that’s never a good look, but hey, I’m also going to have to thank the same resilience for getting me this far.
The sheer number of times I’ve changed careers could perhaps be an example. That constant quest to zero down on what I truly love to do. Studying business to join the corporate world as a part of talent acquisition in a software company, joining fashion retail and then leaving it to become a stylist. Changing tracks again to become an event manager, going back to styling, to now finally finding what I really, really want to do — jewellery; life’s a roller-coaster, and I’m glad I didn’t give up, even at my lowest.
This is a big one. The falcon doesn’t care if a prey is bigger in size — it’s out to kill!
I ask myself whether I have that fight in me, and though I might not need to deploy that level of courage on a daily basis today, when I reel back to a certain childhood incident, I realize it had to be pure, unadulterated courage that stationed me outside that room my younger brother had locked himself in — after a huge teenage row with my dad — and there I was, communicating with him through a window, supporting and egging on his rebellion, and threatening to leave the house myself in protest!
I hope I can still draw from that well of childish courage whenever needed, but even if it doesn’t come naturally, I think courage should absolutely be cultivated.
It’s not hard to see that the falcon is a persevering creature; it puts in its time.
I admire that quality so much, and try upholding it in high regard — maybe the hours I’ve spent in tiny shops on little lanes, trying to find trinkets I love, are testimony to how hard I will work to get exactly what I want (seriously, show me anything, and I will be able to do a cool DIY version of it)!
Jokes apart though, everything I am today and everything I have been able to achieve, however small, is thanks to this trait that I try to hone every day. During my styling and events days, I remember wanting to pat myself on the back for all the sweat, and even now, with the Travelling Dukaan, I’m glad to say nothing has changed. In my homebody time, nothing makes me happier than being on my feet all day in the kitchen and churning out meals for a house full of people.
Of course, being industrious 24x7 takes a toll, but I guess it’s all about the balance.
Nobility is pretty much a state of being — you know what noble looks like when you see a falcon fly.
While I do unapologetically think I’m the queen of my own world and dreams (as should all of us), nobility to me, at its core, is about being fair, purging yourself of ego, respecting individuals, and making them feel respected. Nobility is niceness — you can always be nicer tomorrow than you were today, and I’d like to set an example for this very underrated quality.
And with that, here’s to the baaj, here’s to my baaj, and to the baaj inside each of us — here’s to Rustom! Now available on the website is a limited edition piece of my baaj.
Warning: Breakable and delicate as hell, but show me another ring as beautiful as this.
