Dressed in a resplendent red and black chaniya choli and a multicoloured dupatta, Sonia rushes through the security processes at the Lukshmi Vilas Palace (LVP) grounds in Vadodara. Her eyes scan through the crowd and her lips, painted with a bright lipstick, break into a smile. It’s Priyal. Sonia runs towards her companion, the cowrie shells on her outfit and oxidised accessories on her ears and neck jangling in perfect tandem.

Priyal is not merely a garba partner for Sonia. The two young women have been in a relationship for a while now and this garba venue, according to Sonia, gives them the space to be themselves and express their love for each other without the fear of being judged by the society.

Like Sonia and Payal, this garba has been doubling up as a sanctuary of sorts for sever

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