Food, Just Food...

I come from a small town down south, in God’s Own Country, by the name of Calicut (also known as Kozhikode). This place may be known to the country as the place where Vasco De Gama landed or as of recently, one of the few places that has an IIM. To talk of, this place boasts of some of the best cuisines in the entire state. This place is known for its biriyani, banana chips, halwa and so many more. Each dish that is prepared around here has a story behind it, and to tell so, there are loads. And if you have not had enough, then I think you should head down more north of Kerala, to the French part and beyond – Mahe, Thalassery and Kannur.

But you can do that only after visiting this beautiful city of Calicut. And as you people are kinda the dhaba people, I have to suggest you this awesome place right next to where I live – Eranhipalam. I must have been to a lot of places in and around the southern states of India, but I can bet you that you will never have such food as you have from the dhabha opposite the Eranhipalam mosque. It doesn’t even have a name. But once it’s evening, then you can see loads of people around it. Maybe just to at least have a snack or tea. Their specialty lays in the dosas and the piece masalas (green pea’s sautéed with duck or chicken egg). But they also have other specialties like the chicken bondas (boiled potato stuffing), chicken pakodas and many more snacks here and there. Well that is one of the few places you can visit. Well I forgot to tell you, all these are on the highway as well.

Anywho, as I was saying, there is also the iconic Bombay restaurant, where even superstars of the Malayalam film industry go to eat. It is next to the beach and provides you with wide varieties of biriyanis – chicken, fish, beef and many more local delicacies. Then there is the Rahmath hotel, which has by far the best beef biriyani in town. And then I can cite as many places for you people to go to have different types of biriyanis. If you want to try out the seafood platter, I would like to mention to you people the Sea Queen restaurant as well as the Paragon restaurant. Also if you want to check out all the various Muslim Ramadan time delicacies, then I would ask you to please visit the Zain restaurant, which can also be found close to the beach. All these places are quite affordable, and within the common man’s budget. Did you know that the recipe behind the biriyani was got from the Arabs who used to come here to trade during olden times? If you are available, then you can see fresh fish being bought in from the sea, if you are early risers. There’s no stopping me if I continue. So I hope you people will be interested in this little town of ours. And you can still fill your stomach on the way, when you go more north, towards the Kasargod side or down south, towards the capital of Kerala. But if its food you are looking for, then I think I would ask you people to head north after Calicut.

The Date: 26th December 2004

Little Raju was asleep in his little cot in the sleepy little town of Velankanni in Tamil Nadu. The time: 5.30am. Mother Thresia was up and awake to go for the morning prayers. She slept beside the 30-40 other children in the orphanage of mother Velankanni. She loved all of God's children. But she likes Raju the best. It was not because he was the most innocent of them all; it was only because he was the youngest of them all. He was 7 years old. And he had been living in this orphanage for the past 7 years. This meant that he was left to his own; from the time he arrived on mother earth.

The town was coming to life. It was the day after Christmas, and there was no lack of bustle. The fishermen were gathering their nets and getting ready to leave their loved ones behind and go and live with their second mother at sea. The time: 6.30am. Raju had risen, brushed his teeth, combed his hair and even finished prayers with his other friends at the orphanage. Little Raju liked living in the orphanage. He never felt isolated. He had all the love he ever needed. He also liked Mother Thresia very much. Raju decided to go and play. Since there was no one as young as him in the orphanage, he went all alone to the beach and started playing with the sand.

The time: 7.29am. Mother was calling from the distance asking Raju to come and have his breakfast. Raju never disobeys. So he listens to mother Thresia's orders and goes as fast as possible and has his breakfast. It was the meager one, but it was all they could have. Raju never complained about the food or about the amount of anything he received. He received very little, since the orphanage could offer only little. After the breakfast, Raju runs back to his favorite spot on the beach- A secluded area covered with shells. So again Raju begins to play Alone.

The time 8.23. Raju feels bored. He has had enough of playing with the shells, sand and water. That was when raju noticed something strange with the beach. All the fishermen had left for the sea. This was a usual site. But there was something that caught Raju's eyes. He looked around. There were seagulls and other sea birds, of which he didn’t even know the name coming away from the sea, calling each other in their own specific reverberation. This was strange and it had not occurred ever before in his short time of two years he had spent in the beach playing. Also he noticed that the crabs were hurrying away from their homes beneath the sand and were heading inland. A small crab even scurried over his legs. But Raju did not budge. He decided to go back to the orphanage. He was getting scared. He wanted to see mother. He wanted to be in her hands and may be even go to sleep in her lap.

The time: 9.00am. Raju cannot find mother. He goes on roaming all around the orphanage. That was when sister Daisy told him that mother Thresia had gone along with father Marcos to see an ailing patient. Raju was frightened but he did not want to show it out to anyone else other than mother Thresia. Gathering up all the courage that was left in him, he decides to head back to the beach. Little Raju reaches his secluded little place and decides to build something with the sand. But then his eyes wander of to the distance of the sea. Something was eating up the sea. All the waves were disappearing. The bed of sea was coming into site. Raju moved a step or back. He looked at the astonishing site and spoke out none. He wanted to know who had eaten up the sea. So he stepped forward and brought out his hand and held it above the eye, so that he could see as far as possible. He moved forward slowly. That was when he saw something huge making its way back on to the beach at very high speed: A WAVE. A wave so tall that he had never seen anything like it ever before. He decides to run and hide in the church, for mother had always told him that, if you are ever in doubt or if ever you are in need in help, ask to the Lord and he shall provide. But the tiny feet took its last few steps, and then…………………………..

The time: 10.00am. The town that was, didn’t seem to exist. The water had swept away all and spared none. Lord had helped none and punished all. The beach was gone, its people ruined. And as for little raju, the lord had him in his hands.

The Phoenix

More than a heart's despair,
More than a lover's misfortune,
This mortal has indulged,
In what immortals even dare not.

Treading paths of love and hate,
At the doors, the mere human met
To meet
But nothingness

He cant remember,
Oblivion shrouded for now
The less he strived,
The more he pained

Receding,
Day by day,
Bit by bit,
Soul by soul

I wish he burn,
Rather suffer
And rise the phoenix
That he is.

Mischief Helps

This took place during our final term of our eleventh standard in India. The year would be around March 2005. The final exams were just around the corner and all were quite engrossed in books and stuff. But not us three – Fathima, Anis and myself. We were the three inseparable stooges of our class. No, not just the class, but the school.

Anis and myself wanted to go to Fathima’s home since long. She had a lunch to give us, which was long overdue. And Fathima being a good friend of ours decided to invite us to her house (after waiting for almost half the year). Her mom is preacher and takes classes frequently outside her home. And then the expected day arrived
We had our final exams going on at the time of this unforgettable experience. And the next day the exam was chemistry. Oh what with all the organic chemistry to learn who would go into learning chemistry. Fath’s mom left for her classes in the afternoon to some distant place. Fath seizing the opportunity invited us over to her home. She lived with just her mom and her maid. The rest of her family was in Saudi Arabia. She was the only one studying in India. At first she struck a deal with her maid Zeenath as to allowing us to get into the house with her mom knowing nothing about it. Fath had to allow Zeenath to watch T.V., that’s all. And so the deal was finalized. Zeenath even prepare fried rice for us.

Us, anis and myself were scared to our very inner beings at the prospect of going to a girl’s home without either of her parents knowing. But we accepted the challenge and left for Fath’s home by1 in the afternoon. Anis came to pick me up on his Honda bike and we bought some refreshments and headed unto Fath’s home.

Fath quickly ushered us in as Zeenath hurried to take in our shoes (no clues should be left behind). So we entered Fath’s home at last. We had lunch (mmmm…the fried rice did taste real good), played monopoly, watched movies and had a lot of fun. We didn’t know how the time went by us. Suddenly the time was 4. it had been three hours since we had arrived here. The topic of our talk shifted from fun to our chemistry exam. As soon as I heard chemistry, I immediately went to Fath’s room and took her chemistry text and started reading from it. The other two did not join in. They started discussing about as to how they could bunk the exam next day. They kept giving suggestions, like Fath went – ‘ How about putting your head in the water and then standing under the fan?’, I told them the fact about cold and that one can’t catch a cold like that. Then Anis said that it was enough that one sprained their arm to keep them stay back at home for at least a day. I was still looking into the chemistry book while these two plotted their own disappearance tomorrow. Fath decided to sprain her arm. But she couldn’t do it on her own. She asked Anis to do it for her. And when he was about to twist her hand, we heard the horn – Fath’s mom! She was back. Aaagghhhh!!! We started to panic. But Zeenath had it all under control. She asked us to move to the backdoor, and wait for her signal. Fathima quickly went and opened the gate for her mother, while we went to the backdoor and hid behind the well. Our shoes were already kept there. As soon as Fath’s mom entered the house Zeenath gave us the signal and we quickly took on to the front of the house while Fath kept her mom busy. After that we left the place and headed back to our respective homes.
After some time all of us were again online on the phone, in conference. Each had their own mobile. Fath and Anis kept talking about how to bunk classes. I just kept giving my comments on each plan. Finally the decision was taken. I was sent to the pharmacy by these two people to enquire as to whether anything would happen if someone takes in a little dose of washing powder. I enquired and they said that it’s quite a trip to the toilet. So Anis and Fath decided to get upset stomachs to bunk the exams the next day. So at 9 that night, we were again on conference. After the plan I had sat down to study, whilst these two were having a ball by just thinking about the plan. We spoke to each other as the two dank two tablespoons of washing powder with water. Fath vomited the first time, but then she took courage and drank again. That was the night. We had to wait until the next morning to see if something would go wrong with each others stomachs.

You must be thinking that they must be going to the bathroom now and then. That was not the case. Nothing happened to both of them. They had no sorts of effects with the intake of washing powder. I was getting tensed out here about what I had learned and not, while they were now acting sick with their parents, telling them all sorts of ‘I-just made-that-up’ type of pains. As has to be with concerned parents, they were asked not to go to the school in that condition. I was the only one among us three who went to write the exam. But to my relief the headmistress called the two at their respective homes and said that they have to write the exams and go. So Anis came 2 hours later, wrote 1 or 2 questions out of 15 and left. Fath came an hour later and wrote anything she knew (which was limited).

So the exams were all over. Anis and Fath’s ‘bunk-the-exam’ plan had failed. I wrote the exams as much as they wrote, but didn’t try to act my way out of the exams. But the irony of it all comes out in the end – d-day – the results. When the results came out, guess who had to take a retest in that subject? Me! While the other two – Anis and Fath passed out without any trouble. Looks like mischief making can get you somewhere. Unfortunately I decided against it that day. And they enjoyed their holidays while I had to learn for my retest in chemistry. Oh, the irony!

Alone/ alone and all all alone

(This poem was written by a close friend of mine)

And once I knew a certain someone
Who stood alone/ alone and all alone
And though he had many a friends
It always looked like he was making amends

And once I knew a certain someone
Who stood by corners all day long
And when the night would stir along
He would sing his woe-filled song

And once I knew a certain someone
Who saw right through a persons lie
But what the others didn’t know
Was that his was lie that would never show

And once I knew a certain someone
Who conquered all that he came across
But little did he know just then
Someone was coming to conquer his den

And do once I knew a certain someone
Who believed in all but him
But when she came passing by
He was elated but didn’t know why

Once I knew a certain someone
Who smiled at every word I said
But possession took the better of him
And guilt but filled him to the brim

And once I knew a certain someone
Who took his last breath and cried to me
‘I loved to the I could
And gave you the best of what I am’

And now I know certain someone
Who stood alone/ alone and all all alone
Thinking many may come and many may go
But this dream will live on forever

And so now I know a certain me
Who’s under a mask that no one can see
But little as they know I’m alone as can be
Alone, alone all all alone and the world to see
Now I know a certain me
Whose just as alone as me

- By Mukta Jayanth Kumar