Serendipity, Saunter and Faux paz

 The evening lights                                                        (Image created with picsart using a simple text prompt )   Some of our favourite stories that we asked Aji to repeat over and over again were of little Aji and her exploits with her siblings. And one of the stories I remember vividly is the one I narrate here.   To give you some context, there was a lone streetlamp at the end of our lane, by our gate. That was supposed to be enough for the six houses in our lane and unfortunately left dark stretches that one had to navigate. Often, this light would stop working and the electricity department would take a week or so to repair it and then the cycle repeated itself.   Residents from our lane kept the lights in their verandah on at least till around 8 pm making it easier for everyo...

Thinking of how seeds and peels were revered and always formed a part of our diets. The philosophy of food at our place would be encompassed by the lines of grace we said before the meal: Anna hey poorna Brahma – That food is the manifestation of the Absolute  It had to be respected, worshipped, honoured by enjoying it and never wasted! Our Aji would explain that food is supreme because it manages to please all the senses at the same time. Even as it is cooking, the aroma of the food wafts on the air, how it looks on the plate, the feel of the different textures while preparing the meal and when eating, appeasing titillated taste buds, the mild sounds of a slurp of curry or buttermilk, the softest crunch of the papads , and often the crackling of mustard surely heard while cooking but also the sizzle of hot oil poured on a bhakri or khichadi . And she said the sixth sense too because you are what you eat! This philosophy governed what was used for cooking and also how food was se...