Indian American ‘brown aunty’ Zarna Garg turns trauma into laughter, one joke at a time

Indian American ‘brown aunty’ Zarna Garg turns trauma into laughter, one joke at a time

Zarna Garg’s story is anything but ordinary. Born into privilege in South Mumbai’s iconic Nepean Sea Road but also into the constraints of an orthodox Gujarati family, Zarna grew up as the outspoken youngest child of an export merchant. Her wit and curiosity often clashed with traditional expectations. When she rebelled against an arranged marriage in the wake of her mother’s early death, Zarna—just 14—found herself cast out, marking the first m…