CHILDREN DO SAY THE CUTEST THINGS! #BLOGCHATTER #WRITEAPAGEADAY

                                                                        Amazon.in

Being a teacher and educationist is often the best kind of life one can lead! It is a calling that keeps one young, physically and mentally. Every day brings a new kind of learning, sometimes tender, at other times funny, often fraught with anxiety and fulfilment, sometimes both at the same time.

This afternoon, when I was doing my usual rounds in school, peeping into classes, keeping an eye out for unusual sights and talking to teachers and children whom I encountered along the way, I suddenly paused before a classroom. It was the 5^th standard and the door was shut. However, there was a little chappie who stood outside with a strange expression on his face. He did not seem particularly upset about being there, but the moment he caught sight of me, he straightened up, a hint of alarm in his expressive eyes.

“What are you doing outside, young man?” I stopped to ask. “What period are you missing?”

“Music period, Ma’am,” came the prompt reply.

“And why are you outside?”

“Ma’am, we were rehearsing a prayer song. I have a big voice and the others have small voices. So, Sir sent me outside.”

I hastened to enlighten him on the difference between ‘big’ and ‘loud’. The next question was trembling on my lips.

“Are you sure that you were sent out only because you sang loudly? Did you do anything naughty?”

“No, Ma’am. I didn’t do anything.”

He looked the picture of innocence. I nodded, and strolled on to the next class. However, I couldn’t resist going back because I was feeling rather sorry for our young champion.

His eyes widened when he saw me coming up to him again.

“Tell me, child, why were you singing so loudly?”

He paused for a split second and then answered, “Ma’am, it is a prayer song. If I don’t sing loudly, how will God hear me?”

The moment held its breath. I did, too. I stared at him in genuine astonishment, an involuntary smile spreading over my face. He stared back at me, and below the mask, I could see the trepidation in his eyes change to one of slight embarrassment, and then a twinkle appeared.

                                                               QuoteHD.com

I knocked on the door of the classroom and listened to what the teacher had to say. As I had expected, our little friend had done more than just sung loudly.

“He is very naughty, Ma’am. He was disturbing the others,” the teacher explained to me. “I sent him out for five minutes to teach him a lesson.”

I bent closer to the young one who looked back at me solemnly.

“Do you know that God is not far away up in the heavens? You do not really have to sing so loudly. God is there in the wall right next to you. Even if you whisper, He will hear you.”

                                                             Quote Master

We smiled at each other, and as I walked away, I felt all over again that I was in the right place at the right time. I silently blessed that little boy for having made my day brighter with his opportune comment.  

Children do say the most heart-warming things!

                                                                VinceGowman.com

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CANDY IS DANDY: OGDEN NASH #BLOGCHATTER #WRITEAPAGEADAY

 
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Ogden Nash’s poetry brings a smile to the faces of all those who delve into his poetry. His comic verses have been relished over the decades, known for their irreverence and their eccentricity. They are meant not only for lovers of poetry but for all those who want to savour moment of sheer fun and frolic.

Starting with one of his most famous poems ‘Reflection on Ice-Breaking’

Candy

Is dandy

But liquor

Is quicker.

When COVID-19 wreaked havoc bringing the world to a standstill, it took vaccines, sanitizers and masks to bring down its effects. Ogden Nask spoke not about a virus, but about a germ.

THE GERM

A mighty creature is the germ.

Though smaller than the pachyderm.

His customary dwelling place

Is deep within the human race.

His childish pride he often pleases

By giving people strange diseases.

Do you, my poppet, feel infirm?

You probably contain a germ.

Nash was often impudent and downright hilarious. His spellings often disarranged themselves just so they could ensconce themselves comfortably in their niches within the poems. One such poem brings a twinkle in the readers’ eyes.

THE FIREFLY

The firefly’s flame

Is something for which science has no name.

I can think of nothing eerier

Than flying around with an unidentified glow on a person’s posteerier.

                                                                 Poem Hunter

The last word is an example of Nash’s unique spelling.

Two poems that are fun to read are also about living creatures that populate the world. The first one has the rules of grammar all wrong, but that is purposefully done by the clever poet.

THE OCTOPUS

Tell me, O Octopus, I begs,

Is those things arms or is they legs?

I marvel at thee, Octopus:

Is I were though, I’d call me Us.

The second poem again boasts of a word never heard before, much akin to Roald Dahl’s vocabulary that has been added in the Oxford dictionary. The poem goes as follows:

THE WASP

The wasp and all his numerous family

I look upon as a major calamity.

He throws open his nest with prodigality.

But I distrust his waspitality.

The last word is Nash’s invention and yet, it explains the nature of the wasp as no other word possibly could. There are so many more poems which contain little gems like these, and it is therefore no wonder that Ogden Nash continues to have his fan following. Since it is next to impossible to put down all his poetry, here is one last example to bring a smile all over again.

THE FLY

God in his wisdom made the fly

And then forgot to tell us why.

                                                                       Pinterest

Thus, for all those who enjoy a bit of sparkle in their verses, here is the ideal book for them.

                                                                Amazon.in

And to end with another beauty:

                                                                      Pinterest

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THE ISSUES OF VIOLENCE! #BLOGCHATTER #WRITEAPAGEADAY

 

                                                                       AVC Movies

Sometimes, there comes a movie which clicks for all the right reasons. Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey is one such offering written and directed by a newcomer Vipin Das. The main roles are essayed by Basil Joseph as Rajesh and Darshana Rajendran as the beleaguered Jaya.

What makes this a must-watch movie? True life issues are dealt with here, but with a dose of healthy humour which soften the aggressive bits to an extent. 

a. The movie starts with girls having no rights. Jaya does her B.A. Malayalam, just because she is not allowed to go far away from home. No Anthropology for her, because she is anyway going to get married in due course.

b. Her teacher, played by Aju Varghese, is a modern man who talks about women’s liberation and their rights to live life on their own terms, ideas which turn on their head when he turns possessive about Jaya. Gaslighting raises its head for the first time in the movie.

c. Rajesh, Jaya’s prospective husband, reluctantly agrees that she can continue her studies after marriage. The amazement on his mother’s face is as palpable as the broken chairs and items in their house that Jaya notices when she walks in for the first time. Someone, obviously, has an extremely bad temper.

d. The cracks begin showing, one by one. The first slap and the first half-hearted apology are in tandem. Thereafter, every bout of violence is followed by a grudging treat where Jaya has no say, even in the choice of the menu at the restaurant. Rajesh’s “Happy alle?” (Aren’t you happy?) gets more and more ironic when the violence escalates.

e. Little nuggets of advice pop up from all quarters. When Jaya speaks of her unhappiness, her mother says, “It is for women to adjust. Give your marriage time.” The father adds later, “That’s life!” At a stage later, her mother-in-law defends her son. “Don’t men get angry and hit their wives?” That’s seemingly normal.

f. What is abnormal is what happens when Jaya finally reaches the end of her tether, according to her mother-in-law. How dare the girl retaliate? Isn’t she meant to adjust, after all? Jaya calculates the number of slaps she would have to endure over forty years. That leads to a strained reconciliation.

                                                         The News Minute

g. What is the best way to control a wife who has proved that she can protect herself by turning aggressive? Tie her down with a child, and keep her within the four walls of the house. Pertinent advice from a wily male relative.

What stands out is the subtle humour that keeps the movie running along its rails. Gaslighting is a real problem, and when Jaya decides to take matters into her own hands, or in this case, feet, the audience gets its money’s worth. The message is crystal-clear. Treat people with respect or else you will end up with regrets, possibly broken bones as well.

Brilliant acting by Basil Joseph and Darshana Rajendran, and kudos to Vipin Das for his deft direction! The music is noteworthy too. This movie deserves the accolades it has received.

 
Spiceonion.com

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THE CHANGING BLUE SKY - #BLOGCHATTER #WRITEAPAGEADAY

 Twenty days ago, we flew to Mumbai for a wedding. Often we get into a flight, check out the flight magazine, turn a cursory eye at the instructions given by  the airhostess and grab a little shut-eye. Unless of course, there is a chance to watch the latest movies on board, when it is an international flight. For instance, when we travel to Johannesburg, which is an eight hour odyssey from the Gulf, I settle down, tuck a blanket around me and watch about six movies without blinking.

The Mumbai flight had no such entertainment and I looked out of the window for a while. Only to be absolutely mesmerised by the magnificence of the changing blue sky which I had never really noticed ever before. As the flight took off, Kochi airport receded till it took on the appearance of a map from afar. Slowly, as the aircraft climbed higher and higher, the dazzling blue sky came into sight. And what a beautiful sight it was. I clicked pictures of its various stages, unable to get over the smoothness and the vibrancy of the shade we call blue.

By the time I could finish clicking the pictures, the descent had started, with all the usual messages by the Captain who hoped we had enjoyed the flight and the airhostess cautioning us to stay put, switch our electronic devices off and abstain from using the loo. The next set of pictures were a progression from the blue sky to the brown earth, as we began to discern the topography around the city of Mumbai.

As the aircraft got closer to Mother Earth, I was reminded of the old rhyme which went,

"A sailor went to see see see, / To see what he could see see see, 

  And all that he could see see see, / Was the bottom of the old sea, sea sea sea."

The sight of the sea and the expanse of inhabitations that seem to  cover every bit of land below quite took my breath away. From toy size the little buildings began to grow, and the aircraft landed smoothly, tearing across the runway till it came to a stop. 

As we embarked, I was content. It had been a unique kind of flight where, for once, I had been able to appreciate the glory of Mother Nature, and admire the handiwork of the Master Creator who had painted this glory with all its vibrant colours.

                                                                        EnkiQuotes.com

Photographs Courtesy: Deepti Menon

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IMAGINATION RUNNING RIOT - #BLOGCHATTER #WRITEAPAGEADAY

                                                                   BrainyQuote

“Love what you do and do what you love. Don’t listen to anyone else who tells you not to do it. You do what you want, what you love. Imagination should be the center of your life.”

Ray Bradbury

When I was just a little girl, people would ask me, “What do you want to be?”

Pat would come my answer. “I want to be a writer.”

The answer was instantaneous, not because I was a prodigy. The reason lay elsewhere. I had this friend, a trifle older than I was, who would come over in the evenings with a diary filled with her writing. Poetry, essays, stories… you name it, she had it. She would irritate the life out of me by showing off her literary treasures to my mother, who would give her a hug and praise her to the skies.

“Anything that dratted girl can do, I can do better!” I would vow to myself, my lip reaching the ground in sheer petulance.

Today, I wish I could remember that girl’s name, her face, for I would hug her myself for having irritated me to the extent that I managed to turn into a writer, and happily so. She was the first one to draw out my potential and lead me onto the road not taken.

I would cover reams and reams of paper with writing… there were scraps all over my room, scraps that would leave a trail in hidden corners, inside pillow cases, the cubicles in my mother’s dressing table and the drawing room cabinets. I wrote my first poem when I was ten. It was called ‘My Blue Marble’ and rhymed perfectly. A hundred poems later, I turned to writing short stories.

                                                                      Pixabay

However, when I was seventeen, I turned back to poetry. Maybe because my father suddenly succumbed to a heart attack, his first and last one, and I needed to mourn his passing somehow. I wrote my most poignant poems at that time, trying to contain my emotions so that I would not distress my mother or my little sisters. Writing was a panacea to my sorrow, and I put down my feelings in words and imagery.

QuotesGram

College Days were filled with activities as far removed as participating in the English Drama where I won the Best Actress award for acting as a 14 year-old-boy in a college that was co-educational to acting in a short film that never saw the light of day. Even more bizarre was taking part in college politics and standing for an election in which I had zero interest. However, through all that, I did win prizes in many a literary contest, which warmed the cockles of my heart.

My father was in the Army, and when I got married to an Army officer, I metamorphosed from Army brat to lady wife. Life had come round full circle. Army life was fascinating, the Army family even more so. I was surrounded by a galaxy of positive folks, senior ladies who took care of the young brides who had come in, and officers who were the epitome of chivalry and good humour.

There was so much to write about… every aspect of that life from the accommodation to the Officers’ Mess, and the maid servants to the Tambola evenings went into the heavy old type writer that once belonged to my grandfather. Like him, I found myself pounding away at it in the wee hours of the night, and it was as if his spirit urged me on to put down my thoughts.

Not long after, I found myself publishing my first book which took a light-hearted look at my life as an Army wife. It was titled ‘Arms and the Woman’, inspired by Shaw’s ‘Arms and the Man’ and was published by Rupa Publishers, Delhi.

                                                                   Goodreads

My writing journey continues, unabated. Over the decades, I have written myriad short stories, humorous articles, essays, poems, books… every time I see my name in print, it still gives me a feeling of warmth within. For as Kobe Yamada put it,

“Follow your dreams; they know the way.”

 
          Amazon.in

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PARVATI THE ELEPHANT’S VERY IMPORTANT DAY BY SHOBHA THAROOR SRINIVASAN; ILLUSTRATED BY TANAYA VYAS #BLOGCHATTER #WRITEAPAGEADAY

 

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Have you been hunting for interesting books for your children? If so, please take time out to read 'Parvati the Elephant's Very Important Day'.

What makes a good book cover for a children’s book? An eye-catching composition, a strong focal point and an apt title that explains what lies within, according to popular opinion. 

'Parvati the Elephant’s Very Important Day' boasts of a cover image that ‘covers’ all these guidelines perfectly. A smiley elephant with a beatific smile, wearing an ornate ‘nettipattam’, (the ornamental head covering) a few decorative silk umbrellas and flowers dotting the page reminiscent of a grand Kerala Pooram draw the reader into the excitement of the festival. The illustrations meander across to the back cover, along with the succinct blurb.

The narrative is simple, written in rhyming verse, as it describes a day in the life of a temple elephant, Parvati, who is elated to be part of the temple festivities. It is an important occasion, the day when the Royal family is expected to come to town. Her excitement rises as she dons her ‘tinkling bells’, ‘long necklaces of silver’ and the ‘nettipattam’, all traditionally worn by elephants on festival days. She also looks forward to her special lunch of bananas and sugarcane.

What makes this narrative come alive is the way the author has used the Malayalam equivalents of the various instruments used in the panchavadyam (the orchestra of five instruments) along with the descriptions of the adornments that enhance the occasion.

Parvati’s heart swells with pride as she is to lead the procession, carrying the replica of the deity around the temple, a moment of great honour. The celebration ends with a display of fireworks, the culmination of a joyous day as Parvati goes home, her task performed with precision and dedication.

The glorious illustrations by Tanaya Vyas add immense value to this book which is a must-read for children and adults. The feeling of pride that Parvati experiences is envisioned in every expression of hers. The exuberance of the artwork, the colours used and their evocative feel go perfectly with the expressive narrative.

This book is not only a delightful read, but also offers much insight into the intricacies of a temple festival. The blurb proclaims, “We hope this story will remind children and adult readers of the beauty and majesty of elephants and their value to our world.”

As Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan herself puts it, “With this story I wanted to showcase the colour, sounds, and pulsing feel of Indian festivals as well as look at a day in the life of a temple elephant, since elephants are such an integral part of the festival processions.” There is no doubt that she has succeeded magnificently.

Pages: 35

Publishers: HarperCollins Children’s Books

HarperCollins India

474 words

A LITTLE MAGIC - #BLOGCHATTER #WRITEAPAGEADAY

 
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“Somewhere inside all of us is the power to change the world”. Matilda

The name ‘Roald Dahl’ brings a smile to the faces of most people, especially children. His stories are fantastical, unconventional and hilarious… three attributes that reel readers in, hook line and sinker. Not for nothing has Dahl been called one of the most popular children’s writers of all times with his creative use of language, the wisdom of his philosophy and the good humour that shines through like the sun that provides the silver lining on a cloudy day.

Dahl was raised by his Norwegian mother who would regale him with stories of witches, trolls and magical creatures from Scandinavian fables. This influence stayed with him when he began writing his books. His most popular books are ‘James and the Giant Peach’, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’, ‘BFG” and ‘Matilda’.

                                                                      eBay

Roald Dahl caught the eye with ‘James and the Giant Peach’ in 1961. Every book of his thereafter turned into a bestseller. His books are available in 63 languages and are savoured by readers across the globe.

What is so special about Roald Dahl’s writing? Why does it attract attention and why is he considered the most popular writer after Enid Blyton? Is it his style of writing or the content he fills into every story with so much of imagination? Is it a combination of the two?

Quite simply, according to me, Dahl is a genius mainly because he uses universal themes, well loved themes that engulf the reader with a sense of well-being, much akin to chicken soup.  Some of these themes revolve around kindness and love, stories where good conquers evil, and the world turns into a better place, a lesson that shines out from many of his stories, casting a sheen over them.

One Dahl quote that exemplifies this theme goes this way.

“I think probably kindness is my number one attribute in a human being… to be kind – it covers everything, to my mind. If you’re kind, that’s it.”

Another theme that Dahl struck gold with was self-belief. His characters often start out, timid and lacking confidence. They meet different people in their lives and suddenly a friend walks in when the whole world has walked out, helping them to overcome their fears and aim high. The journey from self-doubt to self-belief is one that is often fraught with obstacles, and Dahl’s characters travel across this distance, inspiring their readers to do so as well.

“I’ve heard that what you imagine sometimes comes true.” Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

One of the most significant contributions of Roald Dahl was the gentle way in which he endorsed the power of reading and books. He lured his readers, especially children, into different worlds, turning them into excited armchair readers. One of his most loved characters, Matilda, found immense comfort when she was surrounded by books.

“So Matilda’s strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone.” 

Dahl’s ideas were crystal-clear.

“Books shouldn’t be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage.”

                                                                          Pinterest

Imagination can often run riot, and Roald Dahl has proved this, repeatedly. His tales are studded with magic, and through them, he tells his readers to be childlike and believe in magic. “A little magic can take you a long way.” James and the Giant Peach.

                                                                  QuotesCosmos

The Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary is a delectable gift to children and adults alike, with almost 8000 words crafted out of onomatopoeia and sheer playfulness. These words slip off the tongue with ease, leaving the reader with a feeling of familiarity – gobblefunk, swashboggling, lickswishy, giganticus, fizzwiggler, churgle and of course, the magnificent scrumdiddlyumptious.

There are myriad quotes and words that populate the Dahl universe, making it richer and more exciting. His secret to a good children’s book? Make sure it “enthrals the child”.

“My candle shines at both ends

It will not last the night.

But oh my foes and ahh my friends,

it gives a lovely light!”

Roald Dahl’s motto

 
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HUES FROM CUES BY VANDANA SAXENA - #BLOGCHATTER #WRITEAPAGEADAY

                                                                 Amazon.in

A Complete Poetry Writing Workbook for Budding Poets

“Sharing hues would not have been possible if there had been no clues.” The first line in the book gives the reader an idea of what to expect from this connoisseur of poetry who took four decades to bring out the writer within her. For it was then she realised the truth that it is never too late to follow one’s passion, and from that point onwards, she never looked back.

Vandana Saxena has made her debut book extra valuable by sharing her thoughts on how to write Poetry. Her book covers seven sections, starting with the Prologue. Section two gives an elaborate introduction to Poetry, along with reasons to write poetry. According to her, “Poetry makes you a better writer”. She moves on to the elements that make up a poem, right from its title to its rhythm and rhyme scheme, ending with its structure and form. What is unique about this book is that the poet not only reveals the different steps to write a poem, but ends the section by explaining how to punctuate a poem as well. This could well be useful to novice poets who want to explore poetry.

Section three deals with the Shades of Love in all its magnificence, along with the prompts that drove Ms. Saxena to pen each poem. The poignancy of ‘Will You Be My Wife?’ and ‘The Dinner Date’ leaves a choke in the throat, as does the separation in ‘Goodbye’. Love is a many splendoured thing, as the old song went. This section waxes eloquent on self-love, unfinished romance and unconditional passion.    

                                                                    Pixabay

Nature poetry ruled the roost during the Romantic Era in English Literature, exemplified by stalwarts like Wordsworth, Keats and Shelley. Nature is the theme in Section four which begins with ‘Black’, a colour connected with negativity, a colour that “is beyond just itself, but usually misunderstood.”  Whether it is ‘Border’ where “hearts have an identical patter”, or the tender ’Jasmine’ a flower that can laugh, according to the poet, or the two poems that empathise with Mother Earth, asking her to save and heal herself, there is a beauty that comes through in the form, which blends perfectly with the various prompts adhered to.

                                                     Jasmine image - Pixabay

Section five is titled ‘Cues of Life’, each cue suggesting a shade of life. ‘No. Not the Victim’ reveals the stigma of sexual harassment, while ‘Separation for Happiness’ illustrates the relief of separation. In this section there are poems that catch the sparkle of a woman, especially in ‘The Fire in Her’, “the burning glow” that is irrepressible. One of the most touching poems is ‘The Hidden Vampire’ which deals with a problem that has become part and parcel of the tinsel world of celluloid.

‘Poetic Drabbles’ demonstrates the flair of the poet to compress whole ideas into exactly a 100 words each, as she sets out to explore journeys, success, adventure. ‘Truth or Dare’ sends a chill, as “water drops created a mysterious mist” ending with a thriller twist. A poem that resonates with me is ‘Make Me Shiver’ which came out of a situation where a man calls the poet’s profession a hobby, and she promptly shuts him up. Truly exemplary!

The final section ‘Poetry Shots’ wraps the book up perfectly, using myriad forms of poetry like the Acrostic poem, the five-lined Cinquain, the Endrhyme, the Limerick, the Tanka, the Haiku as well as the lesser known Pathya vat from Cambodia, the Punnett (with a biological theme) and the syllabic Whitney, all short poems which showcase the care that has gone into the creation of each.

                                                                   Pixabay

This is a book that goes beyond the normal book of poems. It is a generous gesture that serves to instruct new poets, holding their hands and guiding them across the hallowed path of poesy.

Postscript: I won 'Hues from Cues' for a contest on Instagram. I thank the author, Ms. Vandana Saxena, for the same.

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TWENTY - TWENTY #BLOGCHATTER #WRITEAPAGEADAY

 
The Odyssey Online

Today is the day when time and tide have waited not,

Writing has taken a back seat, I have quite lost the plot.

Even if I wanted, I could not have written a page,

Nevertheless, I do need my plight to assuage;

The day is done, the night is coming to an end

Yet, I will mourn if I do break the trend.

 

The words begin to come forth, my pen starts to move,

Whirling within my head, each idea in its groove,

Even if I wanted to, I could not stop the unending flow

Nine times out of ten, my imagination puts on a show.

The poem seems to write itself, acrostic all the way,

Yes, now I pause to sleep; tomorrow’s another day.  

                                                                          Pixabay 

  Postscript: This is my 20^th post on the 20^th of February. I have used the title ‘Twenty – Twenty’ in order to create an acrostic poem twice over.

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IF FOOD BE THE MUSIC OF LIFE, PLAY ON! #BLOGCHATTER #WRITEAPAGEADAY

 
Alamy

Is there anyone who can truly say that food is not important in their lives? Yes, the degree of importance may vary. Some eat to live, others live to eat. This post is for all the foodies out there who love the very idea of food. Of course, there are those who believe that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. The reverse is true as well. A man who cooks for his lady love is already ensconced safely in her heart!

When I got married at the age of 22 to a dashing Army officer, the kitchen was a remote area for me, in Army parlance. I am not making excuses here, but anyone who has been part of the sumptuous meals that were served at home when I was a child, will know the reason why. My Dad was in the Army and my mother cooked for exactly a year and a half after she married him. Then came an angel in the guise of Parvathy Amma, a middle-aged lady who was a wizard in the kitchen. Anything she prepared tasted divine.

To cut a long story short, not only was Parvathy Amma the most amazing chef I have ever seen, but she was also extremely protective of her little girls… my two sisters and me. She would not allow us to step into her kitchen, and as a result, when I got married, I could not even make a cup of tea.

                                                                     Pixabay

My long-suffering better half was like the rock of Gibraltar. He ate everything I burnt, ruined, overcooked with no complaint, slowly developing a cast-iron stomach. Those first few years were tumultuous… and then, the tide began turning. I found my way around the kitchen, and plodded through numerous cookery books, finally managing to find my culinary niche through trial and error.

The Army is a beautiful place. From the time I was a brand-new bride, I was taken care of, along with all the other brides who had come into the Unit at almost the same time. We were all fiercely protected by our senior ladies, who fed us and nurtured us, till we were ready to soar.

I fondly recall wonderful breakfasts when we would all be invited to a lovely couple’s house, where we would gorge on the most delicious parathas of all kinds… alu, gobhi, mooli… (potato, cauliflower, radish) you name it, it was there. All this accompanied by oodles of affection and butter and a spicy Rajasthani red garlic chutney that took our breath away.

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There were numerous other occasions when I learnt new dishes from friends. In those days, we could all walk into one another’s houses in the evening and stay on for dinner. We have often been ambushed ourselves by hordes of young officers, almost twenty six in number, especially when my husband was an instructor of the Young Officers’ Course. They would call it a raid, walking in sometimes with bread and eggs, and finish off everything in the refrigerator, leaving it bare like Old Mother Hubbard’s cupboard. Those were, indeed, the good old days, which we remember with such fondness. Even today when we meet them anywhere, where many of them are in senior positions, there are so many tales to be told and anecdotes to be laughed over.

We were once sitting with friends when the lady of the house suggested that we make spring rolls together. We proceeded to the kitchen and she showed me how to make the simplest, yet most delicious, spring rolls. Likewise, when we were posted in Srinagar, a good friend made Kashmiri baingan (brinjal) which I promptly wrote down, step by step. It was yet another friend who taught me the essence of frying masalas till the oil separated, a step that made such an amazing difference to all the curries I made after that.

The first time I had bhindi alu (potato-ladies-finger) was when I had made a quick stop at another friend’s house, and she was just spluttering jeera (cumin). In a jiffy, she had fried everything and the sabji (vegetable) was so delicious that it turned into a staple at my dining table.

When my husband was the Commanding Officer at Baroda, we had umpteen opportunities to host parties – all the lessons I had learnt came into use. My husband had also honed his barbeque skills right from the year we got married where we used an upside-down dustbin with an ammunition box over it, and slowly graduated to a cast iron pot.

                                                                   wikiHow

 In Deolali we had a brick oven barbeque on the terrace, which we used avidly. One day, however, we had an older couple, parents of our friends, over for lunch, and when they left, the gentleman clapped my husband on the back saying, “Well done, beta. You have a havan kund (for poojas) at home.” We did not have the heart to correct him.

By the time we reached Baroda, we had a professional looking barbeque set which could feed an army, which is exactly what we did! We had our young visitors as well. Our daughter’s friends would come over often to eat sandwiches, pasta, and especially Kerala parathas and egg roast.

Today, as we look back at those days, the memories are mixed. We have had our grey moments and our purple patches. We have lived through the tumult in Delhi after Mrs. Gandhi’s assassination, terrorism in Punjab, the earthquake and the riots in Gujarat, the Kargil war in Srinagar. My husband was a UN peacekeeper in Mozambique during the tumultuous elections there and Rwanda during the genocide and the blood lust that ensued. Many are the nights when my daughter, Priyanka, and I, have stayed awake in fear, but there are many more perilous occasions that we did not even know about.

On the other side, we have delightful memories of travelling to new places, meeting new friends and setting up home in various states. Those friendships are vibrant and alive, and we keep in touch with our Army family on WhatsApp, meeting at weddings and significant occasions. Through all those memories are interspersed the aroma and the emotions of the food, always a factor that kept us all together, crafting snapshots in our minds which would never fade away.

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Postscript: Life in the Indian Army will always be special for me. In 2002, my first book titled ‘Arms and the Woman’ was brought out by Rupa Publishers. This was a book that took a light-hearted look at my life as an Army wife, or lady wife, as the term goes. This book is now out of print, but I am seriously thinking of bringing it out as an e-book.

 
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