(more than 300 words..)
I do not know if there is an expression in Hindi or Tamizh which can adequately convey the emotion of the English term `Blessing in Disguise’. But I have seen it in action many times. One happened yesterday.
It was good that I sprained my ankle. The doctor advised me to keep indoors and not to strain my leg. So the proposal to go out and have lunch at a restaurant was dropped.
I was spared of
- eating that same old naan, paneer ka sabzi, daal makhani, mixed vegetable curry, aaloo-matar rasedhar and the like
- paying a hefty bill for that
- spending some indecisive minutes to work out what amount of tip will not make us look like some ghatees (uncultured village folks)
- having to `look’ for a parking lot and stll having to walk around a kilometer or more
- popping a Digene tablet after returning home
Instead, our taste buds were lovingly delighted with
· Dahi-vada (the real ones, not the soaked-in-water types)
· Bhel Poori
· Gaajar ka halwa (the red variety)
· Mini poories, one and half inches in diameter
· Aaloo khara curry (not the very spicy type)
· Mixed vegetable rice
· Rasam Saadam (Ready-to-eat) *
· Curd rice (Ready-to-eat) *
· Freshly fried papads
· Pickles
* to suit lazy people like me who don’t like wasting energy and hand-movements to mix rice with other ingredients.
Super tasty food. Cooked at home. No waiting at the table. Served on time. Items appetisingly laid out on the table. All crockery in place. The three-in-one chef-cook-butler goading you to have one more helping of the dish you like. No payment to be made. No tips, either.
Sorry, folks. You missed it. If there is one reason why you should relocate to Bangalore, here it is!
Thank you, Radha.
S .Gopal ….Keying in is better than idling
