Beyond Sustenance ………..A Symbolic Act

 

Beyond Sustenance
                  ………..A Symbolic Act

Prelude: Having spent the best part of my life among teenagers & kids I have learnt that in a world increasingly fractured by personal disagreements, the act of sharing a meal remains one of the most effective rituals for reconciliation. It is a simple (ancient) practice that transforms "us vs. them" into just "us ", breaking down barriers, and creating  space where,empathy takes precedence over conflict. Sharing food is not just about consuming calories

The added “Fluff” & descriptive nature of the narrative  have more to do with expanding a relatively common  incident and transforming it into a “Read Worthy” story than  offer a comprehensive gastronomic critique of the cuisine

_____________________________________________________________________ 

The chemistry among our group was legendary & the rapport   incredible.Two among the group had developed a very close friendship People were sometimes even envious of their closeness.. They  swapped sun glasses,wrist watches  & sometimes even T-shirts & Bikes  every now and then and always moved together  And Yes, their physique  was  identical too. They weren’t relatives either

But then, suddenly a crack appeared. No one  had any idea of the reason what caused it The relationship became strained . Gossip was rife among other friends  regarding  the reason for the split  and soon everyone was talking  about the great fall out .

Days passed . Each one vigoursly  avoided  any conversation which referred to the Other. Any move by common friends  to help them break the impasse  was spurned. We were forced to remain helpless by standers  in the   unfortunate situation.

Having picked them up as young boys & mentored them for years, I was proud to see them excel in their own fields of interest. Like the others  I was perturbed by  this sudden spat . After careful thought I  weighed the decision in my head and then  finally decided on trying it out though I feared that  it could  prompt some  embarrassment among the rest of the  friends  & lead to  uncomfortable moments. But I was sure that I had made the correct decision under the circumstances

  They arrived. Separately ! as expected .Apparently, they two former buddies were doing their best to avoid facing  each other.I somehow managed to position  myself  between them even as they  ignored  each other and  weren’t prepared to  do anything about it. It was very clear they were here only at my behest to spend an evening with our other friends .

 They  did their best to  keep distance. But the rest the evening went beautifully with Cherished memories, nostalgia, camaraderie and some scrumptious food,

After some friendly Banter over soft drinks and snacks the group converged on the large dining table in a circle and waited for it. Soon, the cook came out. He first brought out the snacks, salad, pappad, sundry  vegetable accompaniment.

   Cooked Rice came in next ;  delicate , fragrance wafting through the air, the cooked grains  a texture as light and soft as jasmine buds.

 

A  dozen hands unmindful of any Dining etiquette   shoveled generous quantities on to their  plates, taking care to create craters atop the heap, in anticipation of what the chef promised to bring in next, the culinary marvel that he boasted about, the flavorful Moringa/Shallot Sambhar.Swirling in the fumes  in front of him, the cook placed his  culinary masterpiece on the table.The air wafted from over the dish and into our nostrils  & hit our senses.

 

The cook then brought out the curry. He had decided to present Roasted Baby potatoes that day. A few  grumbled at the choice but I knew I need not bother. Once it was served on  to their respective plates, I knew we would not have enough of it

I myself popped a few golden roasted baby potatoes onto the top of my rice mound. They rolled  down the slope  and settled on the periphery of my plate like stringed giant beads the glistening oil traversing paths  across the surface  of my steel plate. I picked up a  potato  and it  cracked   at  mere touch. The Crispy chunk  huddled into my palms like golden  nuggets and I popped   them up into my  mouth. Even as I chomped on them cheerfully, I could  see  signs  of merriment  permeating the air around . The mood was upbeat. Was the remedy at work,?  I smiled to myself, between morsels of Rice, Baby potato , flavorful Moringa Sambhar. &  steamed rice.

Tangy  rasam arrived next & was passed around . Rich and aromatic, I could tell the cook had surpassed himself. Shreds of coconut floated around the surface, adding to the flavor. Tiny clusters of mustard sat on  curry leaves like sailors on  a canoe . I managed to scoop up  a few  and crunched on the leaves.

As I had hoped, the food was cheering up the mood all around.. I almost thought I saw the two  exchange a faint smile  , but wasn’t too sure.

Friends scattered in small groups were indulging in animated banter .

The two embittered former friends chose to join  groups which were farthest from each other

. But the mood was upbeat.  The mollifying repast had indeed lifted our spirits . And then it happened

One of the embittered duo  approached the other ,sat down next to him and offering him the Dessert Bowl with Dry Jamoon &  Ice cream  Said “Here,try this, very tasty” The other  looked over, smiled and accepted the concillatory offering . The  group whooped in delight and  cheered  the  success of the “ Dessert Reconciliation ” gambit