Bhati’s goal against Mohun Bagan last season—that was the first time I saw my sister put down her economics textbook to watch full screen. It reminded me of how we weave the *ryndia*: each thread must be placed with exact tension, or the whole pattern sags. That pass from Redeem Tlang to set it up was like the careful hand-off of a pinecone from one forager to another in the forest. I don’t know about the corporate talk of 'brands' and 'markets', but if the academy boys keep feeding that kind of *jingiashem* to the stands, the monsoon mould in my textiles feels a little less heavy.

Here in Shillong, the 'jingiashem' for pinecones is free, and I forage them to sell as decorations. The real stretch is the small tin trunk of rice by my bed – it keeps both my sketches and the ryndias safe from the monsoon damp, so nothing is ruined. A little salt, a little rice, and you learn to stitch the holes in your budget yourself.