Sampriti Bhattacharya 1 The train slid into Varanasi Junction under a pale winter sun, its light already filtered through a haze of incense smoke, dust, and the faint smell of the Ganga carried on the morning air. Arpita Sen stepped onto the platform, her leather satchel hanging heavily at her side, filled with notebooks, sketching pencils, and rolls of acid-free paper for documenting antique textiles. She had been commissioned by a heritage trust in Kolkata to research and archive rare Banarasi silk traditions, a project that felt as much like a pilgrimage as a professional assignment. Outside the station, the…