Thursday, May 22, 2008

Questions Galore!

Since long!! Let’s recollect the reactions of transpired moments.

The last blog entry saw me rushing head long into the end semester exams. Yeah more importantly the “SE”mester was drawing to a close after a series of successful( not so eventually) presentations. Precariously enough, I dug out through another subject. Ahh, the holidays! They should rather be re- named as holydays, for their amazing way of cleansing minds (Good food had always been the stimulant. The whetstone for all the things big and large :P) and spirits (sleep).


Bus to Mumbai was scheduled at 8, so I did pack my bags in a jiffy. Yeah, I caught up on the last day of football with seniors. The sleep conjured images all bright and plaintively astonishing. Did I mention earlier, I was speeding to Bombay to meet my married cousin? The whole of mom’s place seemed to be flooding the flat and the next and the next. 25 odd! Kids--- kindergarten, “chaar foot do inch” etc etc had given enough reasons the other building members to cast a brow. Interestingly enough, the atmosphere was unwilling to die down, even though it was five days past to D-day.


Bhabhi got the first taste of oriya life. It won’t be a understatement if I say, she was dumbfounded not just by the eating habits but the quantity too. She tried but failed to assimilate how the pantha bhaath(rice water. Sorry I don’t know how best to elaborate that), fishes, dried pickles could melt away all the tiredness of the day (Marketing that is. Would grind through it in due course of time)? I had the luxuries if a KFC and McDonald nearby. No wonder, it was the most inexplicable scene before a dietician, who believes rice eating is either for feeble and chaps with lot of physical labor. No wonder the simplest of things are harder to digest for the knowledgeable. But she wouldn’t fret, and each and everyone sans the kids and me (I never admitted that I was hooked to cool drinks), were meted a long list of dietary habits for free. Doctors aren’t so bad after all!


Shopping, Marketing I thought was occasion specific. The myth was shattered to shreds. The gleam in the eyes was a sight in itself. I was invariably dragged to market as the coolie man. I didn’t flinch a bit for it provided me ample opportunities to corner each aunt and uncle in turn. This meant a lot of baggage both physically (as usual I put on weight) and literally (My half full onward bag was converted to a nospaceforair thing). Sorry for diverting, I should be concentrating on the surrounding not me. My point was, purchasing or no purchasing, the sight of market stimulated “ladies” to no end. The prospect of bargaining seemed to be the only game they played from grade two.


Twas part one of marketing. Now comes the part two. It strictly consists of jewels. Do people not get surprised if you fetch onion when you were asked to purchase “Aloo”? Then how would the same set of persons—“PERSONS OF WISDOM” enter a pearl shop, when they debated and decided to have GOLD? ( If you get through the logic, please ping me. Even otherwise, life’s getting boring)

The train journey was taken up in getting the limelight for being the next SCAPEGOAT. Yes, I am second in line. Select a gujju girl, Punjabi girl blah blah blah(The pronounced effect of a Punjabi marriage). The words of wisdom came from various mouths ranging from 6 years to 80 years. DAMN! In between all the pestering and love, I was to stop the kid-errands! Think of fetching a 6 year old three bogeys down, playing EA sports on someone’s cell! Did I forget to mention the plate of shrimps (specially packed for me :D) between the rounds of hugs?


Thus, engaged I did fulfill my eventful journey. Biked my way from the station into the newly A/C’ed room. Statement1: Are you taking medicines on time? Statement2: Today chicken! This marked the beginning of food festival for me. Chicken, Mutton,Lobster,Prawns,Crabs, Chowmein and Eggs! Wait I forgot to add PaniPuri and the sweet dose of steam cakes. The order may not be necessarily the same. Found time to catch up on IPL, friends-- lost in time, lost in space. Yeah, like all good things it came to an end!

This post reminds me of the bountiful home and the train journey!

9 comments:

Baishali said...

Its like a breath of fresh air ....as it genuinely mirrors your liberation from the servitude of the "SE"mester.....Finally your much awaited trip to your family infact your WHOLE family with all the chingar mingars ...in your words chaar foot do inch......
seriously when something other than "SE"n comes out of our silent buddha or pinky its refreshing not only for him but for all his near ones..he he....
I second ur bhabhi's reaction to eating of pantha bhaath or pokharo (as I have always heard)...

And pls THROW SOME LIGHT on the statement - "the prospect of bargaining is the only game ladies have been playing from grade 2" ..

Watever it is in short nice brief insight on your holiday life (which was btw for a change a "CHANGE")

Chandni said...

abbe as if the prawns wern't enough, you get lobsters AND crabs AND whatnot. Damn.

ps: holydays is a brilliant concept. Me likes.

Prabhu Dutta Das said...

@tuli
They say.."ask a lady to know a lady". Kissi se pooch lena.. the bargaining concept.

@chandrani
For some ppl,the holidays come painted in diffent colours, all too naturally!

Anonymous said...

pinky has confessed that in order to honor his stay at home, he will be eating only various kinds of fish from now on. even in the college canteen.

last evening some spies of mine saw him eating chicken.

is that some sort of fish pinks?

ok. about holidays. have you ever waited for the holidays just because then you can build stick-homes? err.r.r.r....i guess not. wrong person for the question.

but post justify to kar diya karo.

Prabhu Dutta Das said...

The post had questions, just that you need to read through!

Stick-Homes.. Yeah, perfectly wrong person!

Holy-days thats how I know them!!

Mads said...

u write very well :-D

Prabhu Dutta Das said...

@mads
Flattered.

Bhasa said...

hmmm man of li'l expression writes it all.gud one.Got 2 knw elaboratly which u told Amu in a single line.

soumya said...

nice article - meeting up with relatives in occasions like marriages can be disconcerting - but in hind sight they are the ones that one reminisces about.....and hey ladies do other stuff too apart from bargaining from grade two..