I miss you Bhel Puri !

Sashi is not that a foodie. But she very strangely falls for new recipes. So she kind of maintains 'one current crush' all the time. In that crush period, she craves the recipe like there's no tomorrow. And as that period draws to a close, she develops a sort of aversion towards the recipe. If people attempt to offer any one of those 'Sashi crushed upon recipes', after its boom period, she makes a big fool of them, uttering sentences such as, " What Aunty! Have I ever eaten this fondly ? '', ''And Uncle, I really do not understand how people like as bland a recipe as this. "

On one fine Saturday evening, Sashi gets so indulged in playing with her friends in the play area of her apartment. Her mom plans to visit a temple nearby to take the presiding deity's blessings as it is a very auspicious day. She is supposed to go with her neighbor named Anu. Fortunate, or unfortunate, Anu aunty says she cannot accompany mom as guests thronged her house unannounced. Now mom looks for a potential companion so desperately as at any cost she doesn't want to do away with as auspicious a time as this. She somehow doesn't find it proper to ask any of her other neighbors, just at the last moment. Mom's eyes spark with a great idea. She intends to take her own children. 

From her balcony, which overlooks the play area, she calls Sashi and her sister. Sashi and her sister play in different corners with their own set of friends. Sashi pretends as if the call is not audible. When mom calls for the third time, she turns around very reluctantly, to look at her mom. By the time Sashi decides to look around, her sister has already been in conversation with the mom. She merrily, starts playing again, seeing her sister attending to her mom. Mom sends Sashi's sister to find out if Sashi is interested to accompany them.(There is no option for Sashi's sister to say NO, especially in mom's desperate situations.) Sashi's sister comes and asks Sashi. Sashi gives the obvious answer. Mom and Sashi's sister leave for the temple.

The duo comes out of the temple to wear their footwear left at the entrance, after having a peaceful darshan. While helping herself in wearing her belted sandal, by wobbling a bit on either side, Sashi's sister eyes a Bhel Puri stall. She immediately stops her mom who has already started walking towards their way to plead her to satiate her taste buds. Mom, this time, says OK without much hesitation, in a simple nod as she too finds it just to satiate her daughter's tiny wish for accompanying her as soon as she asks, unlike Sashi, who turns a deaf ear. Sashi's sister devours a full plate of Bhel Puri. Mom too enjoys 3-4 full spoons. While giving the money, she orders one plate of Bhel Puri to be parceled. Sashi's sister gives a quick, frowny look and goes away saying, " You are always like this mom! It is me who has to sacrifice my happiness, and it is Sashi who gets an equal share in everything without having to do anything. See! She is happily playing out there and now this plate of Bhel Puri too. I hate you mom! " Mom makes an attempt to pacify by saying, " Come on dear! She is after all your sibling, right ? And that too a younger one. It is us who has to take care of her regardless of how she behaves, right ? I thought you are mature enough.........BLAH BLAH BLAH...."

Sashi devours Bhel Puri. It even enters into her hit list. Current crush now. Moreover, she is eagerly waiting when she would have her second plate. She feels she cannot make a song and dance about it, as she cannot dare to face mom for the antics she performed today when mom called her. Luckily, mom does not raise that topic again. Day ends with Sashi's craving for another plate of Bhel Puri and her sister's waiting to take a perfectly planned revenge. 

Days pass to only intensify the craving. Sashi draws a master plan. She decides to watch devotional channels on TV to find out when the next auspicious day falls on. On that day, she decides to voluntarily accompany her mom irrespective of mom asking her to come. Fortunately, it is the coming Saturday again. On Friday night she even turns up the volume when the priest in one of the devotional channels says that it is good to visit a temple on this Saturday. Mom doesn't give her attention, however. (DAMN IT!!!!!) Nevertheless, Sashi's desire is strong enough to satiate her craving. Next day, on her way to home, she finds Anu aunty watering her plants. Something fishy strikes her mind. She says, '' Anu aunty! Aren't you going to the temple today ? Today is a very auspicious day and we will be blessed for sure if we do any good deed today it seems, my mom told me. But she is not planning to go today, as she felt bad last time when you said you couldn't come, at the last moment. Okay aunty! Bye! Remember me to Aaarti. " Anu aunty calls mom and apologizes for what she did on last Saturday. Sashi too tries hard to earwig on their conversation as she fears if Anu aunty tells mom what Sashi did on her way to home. Anu aunty proposes to go to temple today. She gives tons and tons of assurance that she doesn't leave mom at the very last moment. Mom okays her request out of hesitation. Sashi starts to imagine herself with not one but two plates of Bhel Puri. Joy unbounded.

Sashi's sister has a class test tomorrow. So mom doesn't even ask her. Mom dresses up. She doesn't ask SASHI too. Sashi slowly comes to her mom, who is combing her hair, and says, ''Mom! I am free today. And somehow I feel like visiting the temple. Anu aunty might bring Aaarti too. She might feel bored without me..............." Mom says, "See Sashi! I am not asking you this time. And also Anu aunty has not even mentioned about Aaarti. So if you want to come, get ready fast and come. Don't create a fuss." Trio sets out to temple.( Aaarti doesn't come obviously.) 

After darshan, mom puts coin change in stainless steel hundi. She makes Sashi do the same. Mom finds Anu aunty behaving a bit awkwardly as she forgets to bring her purse. Mom generously offers two coins to Anu aunty too. Mom hands over her purse to Sashi and goes to take prasadam offered freely. To kill time, Sashi opens her mom's purse to see how it looks these days. To her shock and dismay, there are only two 5 rupee coins in it. She quickly recollects what mom and her sister spoke about the price of 1 plate of Bhel Puri. It costs 10 rupees. Sashi takes a deep breath. On their way out from the temple, they see beggars and self-proclaimed holy men lined up asking for alms. Sashi is hoping to quickly surpass them, without giving much time for her mom as mom might offer the remaining coins too. And all of a sudden Anu aunty says, " Sashi! Have you seen that monkey dressed up like human ?" Sashi turns her head a bit and in that fraction of a minute, Sashi's mom hands over one 5 rupee coin to a beggar. Sashi turns back to only see the damage. (She is now thinking if she can bargain with the vendor to offer Bhel Puri at half the price.) Within seconds, mom raises her hand to give the second 5 rupee coin also. Sashi quickly clutches her mom's hand. Beggar looks anxiously at the coin. Sashi looks into her mom's eyes hoping to convey her feelings through a divine medium. Within seconds, Anu aunty comes and says, " What dude! Sashi wants to offer alms with her own hand. She wants to do a good deed today to stay blessed. She is the one who enlightened me on today's importance. '' She also makes Sashi offer the now most precious 5 rupee coin to the beggar, saying, "Speak your heart out Sashi. Why do you feel hesitated all the time. And that too, time as auspicious as this will come throughout the year or what ? " 😱

******************************DEEP CONDOLENCES******************************

The missing bag of Elizabeth ma'am.

Sashi has not yet accustomed herself to the special aura of the missionary school she studies in. Right from assembly practices in the morning, to academic curriculum, to extracurricular activities the school promotes, every single thing, seems very bizarre to Sashi and goes over her head in just a matter of seconds. To tell about her friends in this new school, though she doesn't make a pile of them, she still manages to have a decent number sufficient enough to entertain herself in the six hours she spends in school. If one needs to give a straight answer without beating around the bush, one can say without even a slightest amount of hesitation that Sashi's friends are the ones who are comfortable in speaking regional language to her, when she really finds it difficult to converse in foreign language the school speaks, when letting out her innermost feelings about the school.

To add more fuel to this daily dose of disheartenment Sashi takes, Elizabeth ma'am enters her life. Elizabeth ma'am is the headmistress of the primary school Sashi studies in. She is a tall, fair-skinned, hefty woman, who goes on rounds all the time, visiting one classroom after the other, holding a wooden stick intended to frighten these young, free-minded spirits, in one hand and wearing a big-framed, black spectacles, which she adjusts frequently to have a clear sight when she peeps into the classrooms, intending to disturb the magical moments of recess, enjoyed by the children in between the classes. Though Sashi protects herself many a time from having a direct face-to-face encounter with this Elizabeth ma'am, she still fears in massive amounts, whenever she hears her voice or even feels like she has caught a sight of her at least from the corner of her eye.

Sashi's school is planning to have a small celebration for the forthcoming children's day. Sashi's been selected for a stage play. To each of the programmes finalized for the event, Elizabeth ma'am appoints a teacher to look over its activities. And to Sashi's sheer good luck or bad luck, it is Elizabeth ma'am who is going to handle the stage play Sashi is going to be part of. When Sashi hears her name in the list, which Elizabeth ma'am proudly announces in the school assembly that she is going to train these beings to the excellence, her heart beat skips a minute. World seems blank to her for a moment. She even asks her friend, who stands before her in line of her morning school assembly, if she hears it correct. Elizabeth ma'am goes on reading the list of programmes she plans for the event. Nah!! Sashi no longer shows excitement to find out the remaining programmes. The flashing news robbed her of excitement. The war is already lost for her.

On the very next day, Elizabeth ma'am asks the students selected for stage play to assemble in the ground under the shade of a big tree. She has already finalized costumes for all the characters in the play, and calls a tailor today to take body measurements of all the students in the play. She is that forward and excited for the forthcoming event. After all she is the headmistress. Doesn't she want her closely supervised play to stand above all else ?

All the students assembled near the tree. Though everybody else knows why he/she has been called for, Sashi is still oblivious of the reason behind it, as she loses her composure as soon as she hears the call from Elizabeth ma'am. She comes and stands near the tree along with her friends in the same state of terror-filled shock.

And now, nerve-jolting scenario takes place. Elizabeth ma'am signals Sashi and asks to bring her handbag. WHATTTTT?????? Sashi gets jolt-awakened to the situation. She cannot believe it. Basically she doesn't want to believe it. But she realizes that she has to. Without wasting much time, she soon leaves for madam's cabin to get her handbag, as she fears if Elizabeth ma'am turns again after just a few minutes and scolds her for being there in the same place without running for the bag.

Sashi's nervous system is fully active now as it is sub-conscious mind which takes hold, in emergency conditions. Within a few minutes she lands herself in her cabin. And now, the holy search of the handbag begins. A very basic question hits Sashi. What color is madam's handbag ? Or least how does it even look like ? Sashi curses herself for being in such a hurry and failing to ask the color of handbag, though she is not completely sure whether she has the guts to ask a straight question to Elizabeth ma'am in response to her command. Sashi takes a few, quick glances in all directions. She cannot find at least a single bag. She takes a step forward and opens a few racks. But still it is of no use. A layer of sweat has already clouded her forehead. Minutes pass. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . .  .
Sweat dripping now. Still she cannot find it. Sweat dripping more profusely now. She makes an attempt to wipe the sweat with her sleeve. After even kneeling down and searching almost all the racks of the madam's desk and cupboard, she gets up to stretch her aching back once. And now she sees her music teacher named Samuel, sitting and watching her from the adjacent cabin which has a glass enclosure.

Sashi has a special relation with Samuel Sir. He teaches prayer songs to all the students during his hour. Sashi once gets caught by him in the playground when she is taking pains to imitate him singing his favorite 'Bind us together' song, in the presence of her friends. He goes past her silently, with a frowning face. DAMN IT!!! After that debacle, it is now, she is seeing him again. He has been watching Sashi's futile attempts to find the bag. As soon as Sashi fixes her gaze on him, unintentionally, he gestures her to come to his cabin. Sashi goes and greets him, simpering. Kindhearted Samuel Sir says that Elizabeth madam's handbag color is black and Sashi can find it in the locked, bigger rack of the cupboard, whose key is usually placed under the sheets in first rack of madam's desk. Sashi feels grateful to him for the help. Almost twenty minutes passed by already. Sashi's tension is in peeks. She still does not know how to account for the delay she has already made. She kicks into the room again, finds key, opens the sought after rack with fast, pulsing heart. To her surprise, there are two bags and that too one is yellow and the other is red in color. WHERE THE HELL IS THIS BLACK BAG???
Enough of the nonsense. Sashi cannot not take tension any longer and straight away goes and stands near the ma'am to say that she couldn't find her handbag after a thirty-minute vigorous search . She is waiting for the chance to speak to ma'am, as ma'am is busy in speaking to a group of people, regarding the event. Sashi tries to interrupt ma'am twice. But the attempts go futile. When She tries to speak to her the third time, ma'am turns her head and says, '' Hey girl, which section do you belong to ? What are you still doing here in the ground ? Bunking the classes or what ? Go to classroom immediately. " in a harsh, admonitory voice.

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS ? HOW CAN SHE EVEN SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT ?

She returns to class all the way finding as many different ways of cursing the ma'am as possible. Her classroom is chaotic since the respective teacher has not yet come to take class. As soon as she enters the class, her set of buddies come running to her to say, " Where have you been Sashi ? Elizabeth ma'am called out your name thrice, when she took out a piece of paper from her handbag handed over by Hasitha, and started calling out the names of the participants in the play. She even asked us to inform you that you have to meet her tomorrow in her cabin. ''

And only when Sashi constantly replays the scenes which take place as soon as she gets to the ground, would she realize that she misconstrues the Elizabeth madam's command given to Hasitha, who happens to stand JUST BEHIND Sashi. 😲

Reddy Auto.

Alarm rings at 6 'o' clock at Sashi's place. Mom manages to get up quickly without showing even a trace of slothfulness, to begin her day. She then starts the humongous task of awakening Sashi. Mom doesn't toss and turn much, and makes sure she succeeds in hiding her disinclination to wake up as soon as alarm rings, as Sashi behaves intentionally more lazy in getting up, if she finds that her mom herself is trying hard to wake up for the day.

Though mom tries to wake both the sisters as soon as she gets up, it is Sashi's sister who gets up first to get ready for the school. Similar to an alarm's snooze, mom keeps on calling Sashi to wake up, from her kitchen, while trying to prepare breakfast for the day. Almost after twenty minutes of wheedling, Sashi finally yields to her mom when she comes from kitchen and gives a tight, eye-to-eye stare.

That stare is scary enough to make Sashi dress herself for the school and sit on the dining table for breakfast in just few minutes, before leaving to school in REDDY AUTO. Sashi hates almost all the breakfast recipes made by her mom. She makes sure she takes large bites and quickly swallows the food, as she wants to be done with this breakfast section without any additional fuss. She drinks a glass of milk at the end. By the time she starts taking a sip of that milk, she hears the terrifying horn of her auto-rickshaw. Without looking sides, she quickly finishes drinking, almost in a fraction of seconds and keeps the milk glass on the table with a thud, with an air of achievement. She now starts the process of polishing her black shoes. By the time Sashi places her hand on polish bottle in the shoe rack, Sashi's sister is already in the auto calling out her name, which is not only audible but also visible to Sashi's mom from her balcony in the second floor. Mom keeps on moving from balcony to Sashi, in order to hurry her a bit. Sashi hurries downstairs and stands in front of the auto panting, when the auto-man named Reddy takes her bag and keeps it alongside other bags at the rear rack of the auto, while other automates adjust themselves a bit to provide space for Sashi.

Sashi sits to the corner where there is an iron rod blocking entrance into the auto from that side. After Sashi's pick-up, Reddy goes to an individual house two lanes away, to pick up two Muslim brothers. The younger one's name is Iqbal and he is of Sashi's age. And the elder one's name is Irfan, who is one year older to Sashi. He poses no problem to Sashi as he goes to sit beside auto-man. But on the other hand, Iqbal is a very big source of embarrassment for Sashi. This is why he is so: Iqbal is a very fair, skinny, short boy. Since Sashi is, a bit tall and chubby when compared to him, Iqbal is made to sit on Sashi's lap by Reddy, each and everyday. O...M....G...Sashi cannot take this huge embarrassment. Iqbal happily comes and sits on Sashi's lap without even a trace of discomfort, but for Sashi, it is a nerve-wracking moment. Iqbal weighs very less. So weight is not at all a concern for Sashi's reluctance. But it is the fact, which all others are proving everyday that she weighs a bit more than average to happily carry a boy of her age on her lap, worries her like hell. At first she does not accept to this mistreatment, but later she relents as it is she who joined this auto community recently, while Iqbal and his brother have been using the same auto since their childhood. And also she hears sentences such as, '' Come on Sashi! Don't be so selfish. Poor Iqbal has to stand uncomfortably, if you do not allow him to sit on your lap." , Sashi's sister says, '' Sashi! It is us who joined later. The corner place which you occupy, rightfully belongs to Iqbal. It is so kind of him to let you sit in his place." Sashi finally says," ENOUGHHHHHHH....'' and lets Iqbal to jump onto her lap. Since she loses this battle very often, she quickly comes to terms with the situation and keeps a constant vigil on the road from that moment, to see if any of her classmates find out this crazy thing which happens to her en route to school, and start bullying her in school.

To add to her misery, now enters another girl named Aparna into the auto in their next pick-up. Aparna is a tall, stout girl, who is a senior to Sashi in school. Aparna is so chubby that Sashi comfortably calls herself a tiny,lean girl, when both are compared. Aparna is always late. Her mother always accompanies her with a snack-box and a water bottle, when she comes running with a heavy bag on her back. Everybody except Irfan who sits beside Reddy, has to come out of the auto as Aparna's place is opposite to Sashi and Iqbal duo. Sashi and Iqbal sit on the seat and Aparna is made to sit on the Reddy-made wooden bench opposite to the big seat of the auto. Aparna comes and keeps her large, fluffy legs in between Sashi's. Iqbal nicely keeps both his legs towards a side and sits like a baby on Sashi's lap. Once Aparna comes and keeps her legs in between, Sashi's body becomes perfectly motionless as even a small hand shake or a leg shake seem like a shove to others. Only her head has the freedom to move to any degree, and hence she uses it to the maximum to keep a strong vigil. She even tries to convince Aparna to sit in her place. Aparna bluntly rejects. Later Sashi even offers a compromise that she and her can take turns in babysitting Iqbal. Nah!! Aparna is clever enough to reject. Aparna even pulls her mom into the scene and makes her say to Reddy that Aparna's legs ache very often, so she cannot do that holy help to Iqbal.

Aakansha is the eldest of all in the auto and the one to be mentioned. She is the one who gets into the auto before anybody else. She sits on the corner which has an opening to get into the auto. She has got curls in her hair and curves in her body. She is of medium complexion, but stylish and speaks a rich, English accent. She is the one who tries to speak in English even with Reddy, though she knows the regional language perfectly. Reddy, who hardly knows English, however, manages to reply without any hesitation with the help of Irfan who sits beside him. Whenever Aakansha begins to speak anything with Reddy, everybody else in the auto listens to their conversation with rapt attention as they do not want to miss these hilarious moments. After Reddy gives his reply with the aid of Irfan, everybody else bursts into a fit of giggles.

Then comes the most charming boy of the auto. His name is Varun. He is the one who gets into the auto after Aakansha, before reaching Sashi's house. He is Irfan's classmate. He sits on the bench,  opposite to Sashi's sister, who sits in between Aakansha and Sashi. As Sashi's sister is two years older to her, Varun fortunately becomes a senior to Sashi and junior to her sister. He speaks very less and smiles a lot. And in whatever he speaks, the conversations between him and Sashi's sister get a lion share as it is easy for a shy boy like him to speak with the person who sits in front of him than with the person sitting anywhere else. Unfortunately, most of the times, Sashi's time gets evaporated in looking towards the road to check if any of her friends' autos are beside or behind hers, in asking Aparna to change her leg direction a bit, in asking Iqbal to get up for a second and sit again, in trying to set her hair which gets ruffled by the incoming breeze as she sits towards a corner. When she is fortunate enough, she gets to see the smile on Varun's face and it soothes Sashi at least for the coming few minutes.

And last but not the least, Soumya is the last one who gets in, before they all head to school. Soumya speaks a thick, regional slang. She is also Irfan's classmate. She narrates good amount of stories to everybody in the auto before they step out to the school. Her favorite genre is horror. Her house abuts a slum and she knits some crazy stories in its backdrop that there lives a witch in that slum, she likes children etc. Her house is the last in the lane which is so narrow that an auto cannot turn if it wants to. So Reddy asks her to stand at the entrance of her lane to pick her up. On the days she gets late, it is Reddy who has to walk, right away from the auto to the house at the end, as nobody else dares to do so.

It takes almost 35 minutes to reach their school. Every morning Sashi thinks when she would get back to the auto after school in the afternoon, while getting down from the auto to take her bag and head to school. She has not yet liked this new school as she still faces discomfort in adapting to its posh aura. As soon as the auto enters the lane in which the school is situated,she gets butterflies in her stomach.

But, after the school hours come to an end, one should see the way Sashi wears a beaming smile. It is her time now. One cannot stop her chatter in the auto in the afternoons. Though she hates the fact that Iqbal is made to sit on her lap, she slowly develops a nice bond with him, as he patiently listens to whatever Sashi speaks in the afternoons. They even play small, fun games such as stone-paper-scissor, hand cricket etc. And yes! She doesn't miss out any of Varun's conversations in the afternoons.

Sashi waves bye to all her automates before sprinting upstairs to reach her flat. She presses calling bell with great force, and cannot stand straight with patience till the time her mom comes to open the door. She enters inside, scolding her mom for the delay in opening the door, drops her school bag from her height, towards a corner, and asks mom what she has prepared for lunch. She quickly removes her shoes and before even listening to what her mom says about the dishes, she heads straight to dining table where all the dishes are placed. She takes a deep breath to let in the aroma of the dishes, but before she goes to wash her hands to have food, mom comes and orders her to take a quick shower. Sashi knows how strict her mom is, in terms of health and hygiene, so she without wasting even fraction of seconds for a dialogue, quickly goes to their balcony for getting her towel and goes to have a refreshing shower before sitting beside her sister on the sofa before TV with a plate of rice and curry. They both watch cartoons for almost an hour with hand in the plate and eyes glued to TV, before taking their afternoon nap. The rest of the day she shows the same level of merriment as she goes out to play in the evenings, and not until the time when she hears that deadly alarm tone in the morning at 6 'o' clock the next day, would her smile evade her face.