Hungry Kya?

Being one of the most avid food lovers in the entire mankind, such phrases meet a rough sneer from people like me who don’t miss any opportunity to devour food. I mean how silly could a question be? For someone like me, such questions take the top spot in a heap of redundant questions that have been ever asked.

As I returned home after having completed my MBA, I found myself in a new terrain. Mom wasn’t around (my sis’ love taking her away) – and dad was home alone. Enter me – and I found myself delve into nuances of Indian culinary. It was a new experience for me, I have had kitchen visits for an occasional dish or two – but this was different. Preparing full fledged meals over four days meant I was involved in a non-stop cooking extravaganza.

Grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. How different was my mindset when I hogged down all those tasty dishes, gave my expert views and comments on how a particular curry should have been prepared, and how I took for granted that cooking is a given for any lady in the household. I bow in front of all the mothers and cooks of the world, who have achieved so much in the simmering bowl the world calls “kitchen”. The job in there involves as much management as I read in my MBA, and yes – it remains one of the most thankless jobs in the world. When you wake up thinking what should be the breakfast, start cutting the vegetables immediately after you washed the dishes of the previous meal, keep wondering if the salt was a pinch too much or too less, and the only thing you ponder about is whether the dish has boiled enough – you realize “mercy killing” can be associated with all the cooks.

We all crib about our routine jobs – how boring our schedule is, how mundane our tasks are, is there any challenge in the job, there is no value-add to my skill set, etc – spare a thought for all those who cook daily. And most, if not all, actually have to clean the house, wash the clothes, manage the kids, buy the grocery, and do a host of other activities. My friends and I used to visit this restaurant which offered limitless food with no liability to pay. As students we had exploited this charitable organization’s policy, and a lot of times we ate more than necessary – at times even leaving behind food. Leave alone moral obligation, it was also a poor reflection on our respect for the chefs who voluntary turn up to cook for this restaurant. I seem to change with every passing day – every new thing teaching me a lot. Every new thing makes me realize that how wrong I have been. Food – among many other things - has humbled me.

I came, We Saw, She Conquered

After nearly 11 months of separation, I saw her again. We had last met on the 27th of May 2006 when she left for the United States for the official assignment of hers. I had not realized it back then that the separation would be so agonizing, but it suited us fine as I too had to leave for about a year for my MBA. It would have kept her busy while I was away. However she had come back this March and I had not completed my course. It hurt us like mad, separation pangs were dreadful, and we were eager for meeting again.

My journey from Singapore to Bhubaneswar stretched over two days - the reason being my misery. I was not too keen to spend about the same (or more) money to reach Bhubaneswar from Chennai, than what I did when I traveled from Singapore to Chennai. That too in the event when I was ill, and common sense (that's Lopa for you) told me I should catch a flight. Lopa was worried about my deteriorating health. The halt at Chennai lasted about 10 hours. It was not merely ticking of the clock - the humidity, din at the station, heat in the air, my unrelenting cough, and a blocked nasal passage meant that I had taken a bad decision. I survived somehow, and finally boarded the train late on the night of 16th. The next 20 hours were spent anticipating how I will react when I meet her; I was already in a terrible shape - disheveled hairs, shabby looks, smelly clothes, rough stubble, how was I going to present myself to her?

All that confusion vapourized when I saw her. She was a touch late, but that was not her fault, my train had arrived a bit early. She was beaming the moment she saw me, and so was I. She had brought me a long stemmed red rose - and the lovely thing paled in comparision as she was around. Incidentally she had matched her get-up with the rose. Red ear-rings, and streaks of red in her dress - it all built up the moment of excitement. I wanted to hug her tight, but alas - it was a public place. She looked sparkling, and she was so excited. I was in absolute awe - I was waiting for this moment for so long.

We dined at a nearby restaurant and spent a couple of hours there. It was a short meeting, but quite a significant one. This is when you recite a phrase like "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!". She was stunning - and I was conquered, yet again, by Lopa. Win me over and over again sweetheart, I am all yours by any stretch of imagination!