On 15th January 2008 with great pleasure we celebrated 'Makar Sankranti'. Being a die hard addict of mouthwatering products made of sugar, escaping those sweet somethings was a temptation, I couldn't afford to miss. On the other hand, I am fascinated with food. Anything that kills my hunger gracefully is good food to me. Why am I stuck on 'Makar Sankranti'? Because this year I am running short of 'Tilgul' supplies. This Maharashtrian sweet made of jaggery and mixture of groundnuts and 'til' is my personal favourite. During my days when I used to teach mathematics to some of my students they always tried to bribe me to escape my tantrums by offering the first 'tilgul' of the season. Those memories still keep lingering in my mind. So, I am still talking about 'Makar Sankranti'! That is because from 15th January 2008, the temperature in Mumbai is rising higher and higher. And it has started taking its toll on me.
Today I planned to visit Mumbai Central for some personal work of mine. I was at the first place put off by the long time it took me to travel to Byculla by a slow train. I am accustomed to travel by fast trains. The journey was not only irritating but frustrating too. The train seemed like taking ages to reach each station. I finished reading the gossip tabloid 'Mid Day', which now-a-days has nothing to offer except the Mid Day Mate, which was a fascination in college days and now is just an accessory which comes free with the timepass daily. I read it for yet another reason. I am personally aware of a female journalist who along with one of her other journalist colleague comes up with somewhat interesting stories. But now-a-days even she has disappeared. And this has happened right from the day, I thought of appreciating her efforts by personally congratulating her. Ok....so without losing focus on what I plan to write, I was busy reading the Mid Day. Quite impatiently I awaited the arrival of Byculla. The moment the train stopped, I jumped off and landed on the platform. I felt, I am free. From Byculla, I made up my mind to walk all the way to Mumbai Central. I repent that decision of mine. The sun seemed to be teasing me from the sky above. It reminded me of the story I had once read in one of school textbooks about who is mightier the sun or the wind? In my case, I agree the sun is mightier than any one else. I walked for 20 odd minutes and finally reached Mumbai Central. After my work was done, I boarded a Churchgate bound local. At that hour of the day (14.20 pm), I was surprised to see the second class compartments packed to the cored. 75% of them were my bengali friends, who travel all the way from Bhayander and Mira Road to turn gold into beautiful pieces of jewellery. While the 25% were travellers of a normal nature like that of mine. I descended at Churchgate and once again chose to walk towards Regal. Once again, I regretted that decision of mine. Because this time, the sun had made up its mind to melt me. I ran out of breath and finally feeling hungry reached the Majestic Hotel.
This Hotel was our favourite joint in the past when we frequented the Gateway of India on holidays. I feel very sad to say the Hotel has lost its expertise it had in cooking the best Mutton Biryani. At the first place, the mutton was half cooked and on the other hand, the rice served was cold. I couldn't fully enjoy the four pieces of mutton which came hidden in the rice mountain. I tried to tear the flesh apart from the bones, but, I failed miserably. If someone would have been supervising me secretly, I must have definitely resembled a creature out of National Geographic. And yes, there was this beautiful lady who was watching me from a distance. Feeling dissatisfied, I first planned to order another plate of Haka Noodles but then settled down for a lassi. I politely told the waiter, I didn't enjoy the food. He smiled and gracefully walked away with the money I paid for that half cooked biryani. The lady too left looking at me still very amusingly. It was only when I gulped that 'Mitha Pan' from a pan vendor located at the hotel's entrance did she believe that I was as normal as she. But the twist was yet to come. The lady was walking towards Regal talkies. She seemed like curiously walking towards me. She stopped at the same pan vendor, I was having my pen and ordered the panwallah, " Ek Wills ka packet dena". She tore off the thin plastic cover on the pack, pulled out a cancer stick, pressed it between her lips and lit it with a lighter offered by the panwallah. Now it was my turn to watch her amusingly. But she just turned to the right, called for a taxi, settled in and rode away....I stood there for 10 minutes wondering "Women Liberation Zinadabad". The panwallah told me that she owns a boutique at Colaba, is married twice and now lives somewhere at Charni Road with a guy half her age. On inquiring as to how does he know so much about her, he replied, "Mera bhai boutique mein kaam karta hair aur Charni Road ke ghar par aana jana hai".
Shaken and stirred, I walked towards Mumbai CST and settled down in this Cyber Cafe which has been my favourite choice to browse the net. Blogging from portasia.
This is Vociferous.
Today I planned to visit Mumbai Central for some personal work of mine. I was at the first place put off by the long time it took me to travel to Byculla by a slow train. I am accustomed to travel by fast trains. The journey was not only irritating but frustrating too. The train seemed like taking ages to reach each station. I finished reading the gossip tabloid 'Mid Day', which now-a-days has nothing to offer except the Mid Day Mate, which was a fascination in college days and now is just an accessory which comes free with the timepass daily. I read it for yet another reason. I am personally aware of a female journalist who along with one of her other journalist colleague comes up with somewhat interesting stories. But now-a-days even she has disappeared. And this has happened right from the day, I thought of appreciating her efforts by personally congratulating her. Ok....so without losing focus on what I plan to write, I was busy reading the Mid Day. Quite impatiently I awaited the arrival of Byculla. The moment the train stopped, I jumped off and landed on the platform. I felt, I am free. From Byculla, I made up my mind to walk all the way to Mumbai Central. I repent that decision of mine. The sun seemed to be teasing me from the sky above. It reminded me of the story I had once read in one of school textbooks about who is mightier the sun or the wind? In my case, I agree the sun is mightier than any one else. I walked for 20 odd minutes and finally reached Mumbai Central. After my work was done, I boarded a Churchgate bound local. At that hour of the day (14.20 pm), I was surprised to see the second class compartments packed to the cored. 75% of them were my bengali friends, who travel all the way from Bhayander and Mira Road to turn gold into beautiful pieces of jewellery. While the 25% were travellers of a normal nature like that of mine. I descended at Churchgate and once again chose to walk towards Regal. Once again, I regretted that decision of mine. Because this time, the sun had made up its mind to melt me. I ran out of breath and finally feeling hungry reached the Majestic Hotel.
This Hotel was our favourite joint in the past when we frequented the Gateway of India on holidays. I feel very sad to say the Hotel has lost its expertise it had in cooking the best Mutton Biryani. At the first place, the mutton was half cooked and on the other hand, the rice served was cold. I couldn't fully enjoy the four pieces of mutton which came hidden in the rice mountain. I tried to tear the flesh apart from the bones, but, I failed miserably. If someone would have been supervising me secretly, I must have definitely resembled a creature out of National Geographic. And yes, there was this beautiful lady who was watching me from a distance. Feeling dissatisfied, I first planned to order another plate of Haka Noodles but then settled down for a lassi. I politely told the waiter, I didn't enjoy the food. He smiled and gracefully walked away with the money I paid for that half cooked biryani. The lady too left looking at me still very amusingly. It was only when I gulped that 'Mitha Pan' from a pan vendor located at the hotel's entrance did she believe that I was as normal as she. But the twist was yet to come. The lady was walking towards Regal talkies. She seemed like curiously walking towards me. She stopped at the same pan vendor, I was having my pen and ordered the panwallah, " Ek Wills ka packet dena". She tore off the thin plastic cover on the pack, pulled out a cancer stick, pressed it between her lips and lit it with a lighter offered by the panwallah. Now it was my turn to watch her amusingly. But she just turned to the right, called for a taxi, settled in and rode away....I stood there for 10 minutes wondering "Women Liberation Zinadabad". The panwallah told me that she owns a boutique at Colaba, is married twice and now lives somewhere at Charni Road with a guy half her age. On inquiring as to how does he know so much about her, he replied, "Mera bhai boutique mein kaam karta hair aur Charni Road ke ghar par aana jana hai".
Shaken and stirred, I walked towards Mumbai CST and settled down in this Cyber Cafe which has been my favourite choice to browse the net. Blogging from portasia.
This is Vociferous.
1 comment:
Hey Guys- Dada and his love for food and pashion for writing is absoultely amazing. He can vbe absoultely leathal with his pen and at the same time can play with humour as well. Am sure you will be interested every time he writes in so kep reading and make him write more
Paresh
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