Tuesday 20 March 2012

Ek Raviwar Sakal!

Fortunate enough to be in Pune (for 2 consecutive Sundays) recently and could not help noticing.
Started my Sunday with dunking a couple of Parle-G biscuits in a nice hot cup of chai (Exactly that. Not tea. Not chai tea. Not chai latte either). The gentle fragrance of a Cycle Agarbatti hangs around in the room. The gentle sound of Vividh Bharati drifts somewhere in the neighbourhood.
 
I may have added on a few years (and a few extra kilos) and relocated to a different continent, but surprisingly, some things have never changed on a Sunday morning in my opinion. (And I doubt they ever will).

a. Chai - Has to be Brooke Bond Red Label. Admittedly, in the last 3-4 years, it has been upgraded from the standard Red Label to the Natural Cure version (the one with a whole heap of interesting bits added to it - Cardomom, Ginger etc), but it has always been Brooke Bond Red Label since ages. I reckon some of my early learning around colours and shapes definitely started with that red rectangular block of tea. I can't do teabags. Not regularly anyway. People may find it easy and convenient, but I find it a lazy way of enjoying this beautiful beverage.

b. Parle-G biscuits - There's something innately lovable about these little pieces of happiness. Maybe it's a physical manifestation of that lovely sweet smell that drifts into the nostril as your Mumbai local races between Andheri, Vile Parle and Khar. Amazing how your brain stores smells as a memory. There may have been variations of the humble Parle-G biscuit, but it is one of those icons that has stood the test of time. Easily accessible, wholly digestable and entirely likeable.

c. Cycle Agarbatti - A true ornament of the house in my opinion. The market may be flooded with all kinds of incense sticks, but Cycle Agarbatti rules. It's gentle and calm fragrance is enough bring about world peace in my opinion.

d. Sunday Times of India - The family may have moved onto a different (and a better) newspaper, but I always associate Sunday mornings with 2 things - a crisp copy of the TOI and Pattice The Sunday TOI may have more adverts than editorials or more pages than a Chetan Bhagat novel, but I find immense comfort cradling the newspaper in my arms as I settle down to chai and pattice.

e. Pattice - Hindustan kiva Modern bakery che fresh Pattice (that is how it is spelt. Not Patties. Pattice).  Nothing like flaring up those taste buds than with these delicacies. You can have Pohe on any other day or Sabudana Wada/Khichadi on your Upwaas days or Idli Sambar later on in the day, but Sunday mornings are when you enjoy Pattice the best. A little bit of Tomato sauce on one side and a little bit of Imli Sauce on the other. Awesome.