Slowing Down .....

The first week of 2011 passed away in the bat of an eyelid. People around thought I was insane not making any resolutions. I am definitely not perfect and like everyone need to make some.

So I finally decided to put my head together and think about all those things that would help make me better. I know resolutions are made and kept to oneself and they are not something that the entire world needs to know. But then tell me the truth don't you have the slightest curiosity to know what I have thought of.

Mine are pretty basic goals ..... Nothing like I want to be the bestest blogger OR becoming the "Star Employee" of the company. I am tired of the rat race and I will only do things that are good for me and things that makes me happy. Also healthy !

So if you are still interested .... here is my list. With some ***'Conditions Apply'***

1.I will wake up early in the morning.

By early I mean 8.30 am. Ok 8 am is good enough !

2.I will follow the words of Baba Ramdev and make my life healthier.

I believe 15 minutes of pranayam is good enough for a beginner. What's your opinion ?

3. I will not skip my breakfast.

Since I am not fond of slogging in the kitchen from morning I will be happy with what Kellogs has to offer. If I am bored with the cereals I will make a trip to Dunkin Donuts (They Say America Runs on Dunkin) for the heck of it.

4. I will not be an impulsive shopper.

I will wait for deals and sales. And window shopping is also allowed as it costs nothing but time.

5. I shall spend more time reading books, painting and doing things that people call 'creative' than updating my status on Facebook ..... in short get over my internet addiction.

So here is the deal guys ........ I need to think straight and concentrate on my resolutions without getting distracted.

And I have to overcome all my weaknesses and all obstacles to keep my resolutions for once.

I didn't have to spend more than 5 seconds to identify my biggest weakness. And guess what my greatest addiction is (apart from Facebook/Twitter etc) .... Blogging.

Oh don't jump into conclusions. I will never retire from blogging ..... But I need to slow down and concentrate on my resolutions.

The good and bad news is 'resolutions are meant to be broken' !! And my longest one ever was for 2 weeks.

So I will be back sooner than you guys would expect (Evil Grinn) but hopefully without compromising on my resolutions.

But I will be visiting your blogs as much as I can ..... Can't miss all you wonderful people around.

Alu Chop

If you see a bee line before an old rickety looking 'Thela' at Old Station Bazar road in Bhubaneswar ... then don't hesitate to join the Que. If you categorize yourself as a health and cleanliness freak who would only dine in restaurants that make it to the Page 3 of the leading news papers and drink mineral water, then ignore it . All I can say is you are missing a lot in life and you can buy my words for that.

Like someone has quoted 'Don't judge a book by it's cover', I would say don't judge this mobile Desi fast food joint by it's look. I have seen this cart smudged with the ugliest looking blue color since I was a child. Only the blue color and the hand written 'Jalakhiya' (Jalakhiya = Nashta in Hindi) has faded over time. Everything else remains the same. The taste of the Alu Chop, Singada (Samosa), Anda Chop (Egg Chop), Chingudi Chop (Prawn Chop) is as delectable as it used to be even fifteen years back.

I was standing in this long Que after a long gap of seven years just to have a bite of his delicious 'Alu Chop'. In fact it was J's idea as he could not give in to the temptation as we were walking past by that way.

Gopal Kaka the owner of this Thela has seen me from the time I held my father's finger and walked up to his Thela. As a kid I would have made innumerable trips to his cart .... especially when it rained. He looked at me from a distance. It was the same warm look ..... yes I was amused that he recognized me even after so many years. Only this time I could see that age had taken a toll on his appearance. His hair was grey and his face had more wrinkles than I could count. But his enthusiasm and energy level had not reduced a bit. He never got tired smiling at the crowd and talking to them. His wrinkled face had the same old charm. He was talking to his old customers and enquiring about their family and what their kids were doing. And he tried striking a cord with the new ones as he dropped the alu (potato) dipped batter into the hot oil.

Soon the gap between us and the cart shrunk. He looked at me and the 'new face' with me . I could see the happy disbelief on his face. 'Arey kete bada hai galuni' (Can't believe that you have grown up ) he said looking at me. I introduced J to Gopal Kaka. The expression on his face was as pure as his heart.

He quickly wrapped some hot Alu Chop in a 'Khali Patra' (Plate made from dry leaves) before putting it in the plastic bag. I stood in utter disbelief that he remembered what I relished after so many years. When J handed him the money, he grabbed him by his side and gave him a hug. He put the money back into J's pocket. I saw his eyes go wet ..... and so was mine. I felt very small before this old guy selling some snacks to make a living. But I tried hiding my tears as I walked back home.

Every time I prepare 'Alu Chop', I remember this man. And because he knew that I was going to miss his 'Alu Chop' across the seas, he handed me his secret recipe.

He taught me one of the biggest lessons of life ' People remember you by the good deeds you do. They won't remember you for the fortune you leave behind'.

No matter how hard I try I don't match up to Gopal Kaka's Alu Chop ....... the most important ingredient called 'Love' is not available over the counter !!!

Preparation Time - 40 minutes

Serves 3

Ingredients

For the Alu masala

Potato - 3 mid size

Green Chili - 3

Garlic cloves - 6/7

Mustard seeds - 1/3 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Turmeric - One pinch

Salt per taste

For the Batter

Besan - 2/3 cup

Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1 pinch

Salt per taste

Oil for deep frying

Method of preparation

1 Mix Besan + Red Chili Powder +Coriander Powder + Turmeric + Salt per taste in a mixing bowl. Add a little water and mix well to form a thick batter. Do not make the batter runny else it will be difficult to coat the Potato masala.

Keep aside.

2 Boil and mash the Potato. Crush the garlic. Chop the green chilies.

3 In a pan heat a little oil. When hot add the mustard seeds to sputter. Add the crushed garlic and chilies, fry for a minute. Also add curry leaves.

4 Now add the mashed potatoes along with a pinch of turmeric and salt per taste. Mix well. Remove and let it cool.

5 Form small balls of the mashed potato masala.

6 Heat oil in a kadhai. When hot, dip the potato balls into the batter and coat uniformly. Deep fry.

7 Remove to paper towel.

Serving Tips

Serve warm with you choice of sauce or chutney.

Notes

Do not make the batter runny/ watery. Add water slowly a little at a time.

Variation

You may add the chili per taste.

And yet another Sunshine Award from Soumya ...... Thanks Soumya for the sweet gesture and for sharing this with me.

Mahalaya ...... Khichudi, Dalma and Kheeri

The air outside was crisp and the a cool breeze swayed the curtains. I heard the bells and the sound of conch from the near by temple. I looked outside through the narrow gap between the windows, it was still dark. The morning hustle bustle in our house had started much early.

Aai (my maternal grandmother) had switched on her old transistor on full volume. A familiar voice recited the chants of various hymns of 'Mahisasura Mardini'. I guessed it was 'Mahalaya' ! I have always associated Mahalaya with an early morning audio montage of recitation of stanzas from 'Mahisasura Mardini'.

I heard Padma fill the bucket with water and splash it. Her glass bangles moved in rhythm to make a nice jingle as she swept the courtyard. Gopal Bhai the 'Phul wala' was also early. He rang his bicycle bell twice before he left the small woven bamboo basket with flowers for the usual morning puja. But today there was a 'Laal Mandara Mala' (Red Hibiscus Garland) along with the marigolds. Aai had asked Gopal Bhai for the Laal Mandara ..... she wanted to beckon the goddess by offering her favorite flower. Padma finished sweeping the courtyard and grabbed the faded plastic bowl in which Aai kept the Muruja ( Muruja is fine rice powder/flour. It is used to prepare motifs/rangoli ). She moved her hands swiftly to make a big rangoli around the 'Tulsi'.

The early rays of the sun and the early morning breeze was intoxicating. This morning was quite special in it's own way.

Aai was ready for the morning puja . Her long wet grey hair swayed in the morning breeze as she lit the lamp near the 'Tulsi' and watered it. I stood behind her as she began the puja . My eyes were stuck on the special bhoga/ prasad. "Aai is it Mahalaya ? Does that mean it is Durga Puja ?" Aai smiled and nodded as she gently caressed my tangled hair. Aai completed her Puja and placed a laddu on my hand. I happily roamed around the house nibbling on the laddu.

I knew it was time for new dresses, sweets, buying balloons from every balloon wala that passed by our house, exchange of puja gifts among kith and kin. And most importantly it was time for family reunions and pandal hopping.

I spent the rest of the day following Aai wherever she went and listening to stories of 'Maa Durga' and the victory of good over evil.

I have got so engrossed and busy with life that I have almost forgotten the true meaning of celebrating Puja. I wish I could unwind time and wake up to run to the courtyard and hear stories from Aai while eating Khichudi, Dalma and some warm Kheeri.

Sending this to Pree's 'Beyond Five Days of Durga Puja'.

Preparation Time - 30 minutes

Serves -3

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 1/2 cup

Mung Daal - 1/2 cup

Chopped Onion - 1/2 cup

Chopped Methi Leaves - 1 cup

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Cinnamon - 2 inches

Cardamon - 4

Green Chili -3

Roasted Peanuts - 1/3 cup

Clarified Butter - 1 tbsp

Salt per taste

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Method of Preparation

1 Wash the rice and mung daal and keep aside.

2 In a pressure cooker add the clarified butter. When warm, add the cumin seeds, slit green chilies, Cardamon and Cinnamon.

3 Add the chopped onions and fry till brown. Now add the rice and the daal. Stir fry for about 5 minutes. Make sure you stir continuously else it will stick to the bottom of the cooker.

4 Next add the chopped methi leaves and peanuts. Fry for 2 minutes. Add salt per taste and sugar.

5 Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook till you get one whistle.

6 Remove from heat, open cooker and add some clarified butter on top of it.

Serving Tips

Serve warm with Dalma

Variation

You can use roasted mung daal instead of raw one.

You can use cashew nuts instead.

Other Names

Mung Daal Khichudi - Muga Dali Khechedi, Methi - Fenugreek.

Freaking out for 'Something Sweet'

You may think I am a total freak ..... well actually you are right to some extent. If freaking out makes me feel better then I think I am happy that way ...... So here is what happened one fateful night, rather mid night. I was almost ready to go to bed ..... had changed into my night dress, combed my hair and brushed my teeth. And out of the blue I had the strong urge to eat something sweet .... precisely that something was 'gulab jamun'. But where on earth would I get gulab jamuns in the middle of the night ...... that too in this small town of Naugatuck, which is hardly visible on the world Atlas.

When I told J about my desire ..... he knew it was my usual syndrome of going crazy at some wee hour. It was almost 12.30 am and I was in my kitchen reading the instructions on MTR Gulab jamun mix. It would take at least an hour to prepare gulab jamuns ... and then they had to get soaked in the sugar syrup. Frustrated I dumped the packet back into the pantry.

Instead I thought of pacifying my desire eating chocolates ......... When it comes to eating my favorite things I don't count calories. I jolly well wallow in the moment ! I opened the chocolate jar and to add to my frustration it was empty ..... there were few wrappers lying in it. How can everything go wrong at the same time !!

So I gave up my 'sweet desire' and crawled into the cold bed. J was seeing the entire drama all this time without uttering a word. May be he thought that was the best thing to do. He pulled me closer and whispered into my ears ''How about driving to McDonalds and getting your favorite Caramel Frappe". I looked into his eye and the smile on his face was priceless.

We drove down to the McDonalds on Interstate 84 .... that's the one open 24 hours. I happily sipped and licked my caramel frappe before slipping into the bed which felt much warmer this time.

The next day morning, I grabbed the MTR mix and made gulab jamuns ..... that was a sweet surprise for J when he was back from work ...... I saved some for my late night cravings !

Potala Rasa and a Odiya Wedding ......

'Have you seen the wedding card of the Mishra's my aunt asked me ......I was busy watching Super Hit Mukabla. That was a question irrelevant for a 15 year old like me. I nodded my head as I was too engrossed watching Shahrukh Khan dancing to the tunes of 'Jaati hoon mein ..... jaldi hai kya' . Marriage cards would be the last thing I would be interested ....... Shahrukh and Kajol were much more important.

"It's a beautiful one printed on pure silk. Must be quite expensive na ? Just look at it ...... don't know how much they would have spent on these. And do you know the reception is at The Park Heights ". She went on blabbering. "So what do you think I should wear to the party ...... do you think the pink banaresi would look good as an evening wear".

"Oh ho baba ..... wear something, no one would even notice you. Every one would have their eyes stuck on the newly wed. Now can you please allow me to watch the remaining songs .... huh "

The Mishra's Wedding was a classic example of the 'Big Fat Indian Wedding'.

Marigold garlands were replaced with orchids and daisies. The carpet below was Persian. Waiters wearing uniforms carried trays of cocktails and mock tails around ..... Guests of the Mishra's wore well coordinated mauve outfits. There were food counters reading 'Indian Veg', 'Indian Non-Veg', Chinese, Italian, Mediterranean ..........

I walked up to the Indian Veg counter, I was ignorant about the other cuisines, hence went for a safer bet ...... The waiter served me little of everything, the silver serving spoon was a little bigger than a tea spoon. "Can you put some more of that ...... I asked the guy serving paneer kofta". He stared back at me as if I asked him the world.

I took a little bit of everything, trying to balance my food laden fragile bone china plate. The food no doubt was cooked to perfection. And why not, I was attending a wedding at 'The Park Heights'.

And dining in an Indian wedding would be incomplete without desserts. There were Jalebi and Rabdi Stalls around. A halwai prepared fresh jalebi's and handed over to the crowd around them.

After a stomach full I decided to socialise and least congratulate the bride and the groom. Not to forget I took liberty of getting a 'meetha pan' from the 'Banaras Pan wala Stall' .... which otherwise my mom would have objected.

On our way back my mom and aunt began their post wedding review ..... Everything under the sun ........ How much jewelry the bride wore, how much their IITian son was worth of, the saree Mrs Mishra wore ..... an unending list !

And suddenly she remembered asking me the most important question 'Potala Rasa ta khailu ki nahin ?'. (Did you eat the Parwal Curry). Been in my teen I just stared at her with utter disgust. Could there have not been a better thing to ask ??

Hmmm Potala Rasa is a very Odisha Centric food which is a must in the wedding menu.

Yeah I absolutely love this dish .... and this time I was lucky enough to spot some fresh produce at the Indian Grocery.

Nah ..... there ain't any wedding but I prepared it ...... You need not have a wedding at the Park to eat Potala Rasa. You can still prepare it within the four walls of your kitchen and relish it.

Preparation Time - 40 minutes

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Potala - 1 pound

Chopped Onion - 1/2 cup

Ginger - 1 inch

Cinnamon - 1 inch

Coriander Seeds - 1 tsp

Green Chili - 3

Tomato - 1

Fresh Shredded Coconut - 1/2 cup

Turmeric - 1 pinch

Garam Masala - 1 pinch

Sugar - 1 pinch

Salt per taste

Mustard Oil for Cooking

Method of Preparation

1 Slit the Potala length wise and shallow fry it. Keep aside.

2 Grind Onions, ginger, green chili, coriander seeds, cinnamon together to make a masala paste.

3 Puree the tomato.

4 Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in a kadhai. Add the masala and fry till golden brown.

5 Add the tomato puree, salt and turmeric and fry till the masala gets cooked and there is no raw smell. Add a pinch of sugar

6 Add the shredded coconut and mix with the masala. Add about 1 tbsp of water.

7 Now add the fried potala to it and mix well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes till the potala gets soft.

8 Add a pinch of garam masala and remove from flame.

Serving Tips

Serve warm with roti/paratha or rice

Notes

Do not over fry the potala.

Variation

You may also add potato to this curry. Adding sugar is optional. To make it more spicy add red chili powder. You may also add coconut milk instead of shredded coconut.

Other Names

Potala Rasa - Parwal Masala.

Note - This is a fiction and I hope you liked reading it.

Chasing the Clouds .......

Sundays are pretty laid back. I woke up late morning ...........well almost noon, pulled the curtains away and opened the blinds. Gossh their was plenty of sunshine.It was a beautiful sunny day. I watched two squirrels run and play around the trees through my kitchen window as I brewed my morning ..... ahem noon tea ! As I lazily sipped my cuppa tea I noticed some yellow and orange spots on the opposite hill. Ahh Autumn is here !! I can vouch for it ........ with days getting shorter and nights getting cooler. And if you still don't feel assured about it, check for the new arrivals of Cashmere's, boots and 'Fall Decor' at most departmental stores.

Like any other Sunday, my day started at noon and was unplanned. J and I had a heavy Brunch of leftover Chicken Biryani and then we hit the road ...... obviously with no plans or destination. The sky was blue with white cottony clouds which resembled huge feather beds. We decided to chase the clouds ...... I know that's kind of juvenile. After doing that for few minutes we dumped the idea .... we had too, that was a stupid one. But every white cloud too has a silver lining, we ended up in one of the beautiful counties of New England - Litchfield. Soon we were driving through the beautiful Litchfield countryside. Like every time I awed at every silly thing.

After a few miles of driving through the country roads I spotted a hand written board ' Wine Festival'. Yah J too had spotted it. He hardly can miss any such thing. We looked at each other and had this evil grin on our faces. Without even a second thought we followed the little hand made arrows signs on the white paper board ..........and it lead us to heaven .... oops the Winery.

A big board at the Winery gate read ' Wine Festival ....... Wine Tasting and more .... 10 $ per person'. J was more than eager to hand out 20 bucks and grab two wine glasses ....... I wonder where this enthusiasm goes when I ask him out for shopping !! There were 'Hot Dog Stalls','Italian Cheese shop', 'Sprinkle your own cupcakes' ,'home made ice-creams' and many more around.

We happily walked to the wine tasting room with out glasses. There were many more wine freaks like us ...... The first wine we tasted was ' Railway White' - a home grown dry white wine. My eyes were glued to the glass as the girl at that tasting booth poured some. 'Is that all' ....... I thought when she was done. I gulped it down without even thinking how on earth they named this 'Railway White' and waited for the next one ..... 'Chardonnay'. I am sure Chardonnay needs no intro .... all the drunkards ...... sorry again wine experts know a hell lot about it.

Seeing the crowd we decided to take a small stroll into the Vineyard and come back for the remaining. The vines were laden with ripe black grapes ( not sure what variety was that) ..... I popped a handful into my mouth. They burst into sweetness. The vineyard was beautiful ...... I laid down on the cool grass between the vines with warm rays of sun kissing my skin. Ahh that's undiluted pleasure.

As we walked back towards the tasting room, I heard strings of guitar and 'Brown Eyed Girl' . There was a middle aged guy singing and playing the guitar. We completed our wine tasting ........ eight varieties of wine !! We pulled out our chairs from the boot of our car and hung around listening to the live music.It was utter bliss.

Sunday indeed turned out to be a fun day !! Well do I need to tell you guys that I am fit as a fiddle now ;-) The wine festival did it all !!

When I went to the party ......

After a week long confusion of 'Should I wear this or that', I picked up a saree. I hate to admit it but I got influenced by my group of friends.I picked up the Kantha Stitch designer saree that I had bought during my last visit to Kolkata. It was a cream color one with motifs made in kantha work in red and black. My struggle with wearing the saree began in the morning. I draped it several times but it was far from perfection. At one point of time I was frustrated and thought of giving up my idea of wearing one. J was a silent spectator of all that drama that went on before the mirror that morning. I managed to wear it after a long tussle. At last we left for the Khanna's .

I carefully adjusted the pleats and the pallu of the saree trying to keep them in place as I sat in the car. It was for the n'th time since morning that I asked J, "how do I look". 'Darling you look gorgeous', it was his standard answer,he sounded like a tape recorder playing a recorded answer. Although I knew it was not true I still wanted to hear it. It was music to my ears.

I pulled out a small mirror from my handbag as if the rehearsal at home was not enough. I looked into it and adjusted my silver necklace and ear tops ........ It was no ordinary silver but antique. I had bought it from an exhibition held at "The Leela's" when I was at Bangalore. In short they were expensive and it was the perfect occasion to flaunt it! I asked J if my lipstick matched my saree and if my kohl laden eyes looked beautiful. I carefully examined my french manicured and pedicured nails. I was so self engrossed that I didn't realise that we were already at the Thali ...... our venue for the party.

I got down from the car trying to adjust my saree for the last time and cat walked towards the hall ....... felt like I walked on a ramp for Satya Paul or Rohit Bal.

The Khanna's - our host were already there. Mrs Khanna greeted me with a big Hiiiiiiiiii. She looked stunning in the black crepe saree. There were some familiar faces too. We exchanged sardonic smiles as we greeted each other. I was busy exhibiting my Kantha Stitch saree as I walked across the hall several times.

I heard a very familiar voice from behind ..... it was Kavita. She looked like she just came out of the sets of a Saas Bahu serial. A Bindi bigger than her forehead, flashy necklace with matching ear rings, bangles and a heavily embroidered saree. Sarita was also there.

The "gorgeous" ladies gathered around a corner. Then began the saga of never ending gossips. It started with who wore what and a round of praising each other and self praise. Soon the discussion moved on to the ever green topic of how the saas and bahus never get along, the latest fashion, hair styles, jewellery, movies, summer clearance sale ..... anything and everything imaginable (or unimaginable) on earth.

I was getting hungrier. My eyes wandered around the hall to check if food was getting served. Couple of minutes later Mrs Khanna came and lead everyone to the Buffet. The ladies gathered there like a swarm of bees. Everyone had their plates full as they walked back to gather at their favorite corner. I followed them not knowing where else to go. Soon the topic of discussion shifted from Saas Bahu to weight loss/ gain. Everyone gave their two pieces of mind as they hogged on the food. I ate till I burped !

Later the DJ played the music and the crowd danced away. There were prizes for the best dressed lady ... guess what Kavita received it !! I tried my luck with Bingo ..... with no luck at all.

We thanked the Khanna's for the lovely party as we left. On our way back began my endless post party gossip with J ....... who wore what, food, Mrs Khanna, Sarita, Kavita .... blah blah blah.

Note - This post is in continuation to my post Pre Party Talks . Again this is an honest endeavour to write short fictions.

Pre Party Talks ....

Checked my Gmail ....... there was an Evite invitation sitting in my inbox. The Khanna's were throwing a party. Looked at the calendar, it was a weekend party so confirmed it without a second thought. Had a sigh of relief thinking that I didn't have to prepare lunch for that day ...... may be breakfast too !!

Went back and checked the remaining invitee list, most names looked familiar. Informed J about it and asked him to mark his calendar as well, no last moment excuses.

Two days later Sarita calls, a friend of mine who is also a common friend to the Khanna's. We talk , talk and talk ..... everything on earth but nothing meaningful ! And then the much awaited question without which pre -party talks are pretty much bland .... "What are you wearing to the party". Saree ?

What on earth is that ? Haven't worn it for ages ..... reminded me of the struggle I went through to wear and pose for few photographs on my last anniversary. Can't say a flat 'NO' and get the tag of getting Americanized and forgetting my own culture, traditions etc etc.Only the air hostesses with a fake smile in Air India can wear it perfect. Not me !

All this time I hardly thought what I wanted to wear. All I was bothered about was the good food Thali served. However the seed of what I am going to wear for the party got successfully planted in my mind after the phone call. The proof .... I walked up to my closet, checked on my own clothes ... hmmm may be this, may be that .... we'll see still a week left.

Next it was Kavita's call. "Hey saw you are also invited to the party of the Khanna's. Have you seen the venue ?" Even before I could answer, she jumped saying, "The Thali". Heard they serve good vegetarian dishes, not so sure about non - veg part. I thought who cares if it's veg or non-veg as long as I get to eat something that I don't cook.

Kavita continued , seems it is a little expensive, they have increased the price per plate. I wonder why some people ask questions if they themselves answer it. After a long monologue, "Hey what will you wear for the party ?" I haven't thought about it .... will decide a day before. What about you Kavita ? "That's a secret, I don't want to disclose it now ". I wondered what the heck is there to keep this a secret.This ain't any Cannes or Oscar's. Shrugged my shoulders and hanged up.

A day before the party, saw a reminder from Evite. Well for sure I would not miss it for the world. Who wanted to cook lunch on a weekend after all ?But it was high time I decide on what I had to wear. After all it was a chance to show off my wardrobe. I picked up a new kurta mom had sent for me. It was a pinkish purplish mauvish one ! What I wanted to say here is .... it's a color out of the world. Got it !! It was ordered to stitch in a Boutique owned by a NIFTian to be specific. But what accessories with it .... can't wear gold !! I didn't want to be like the rest walking like a decked up gold shop. Decided to keep it simple. Had heard it some where simple is sophisticated.

Finalised on what I wanted to wear. Picked it and walked upto J. Held the kurta on me and asked for confirmation if it looked good. I knew it did, after all it was sent by mom .... still feels good if J affirms it. J like always was busy browsing Wall Street. Hardly bothered to turn his head . I yelled and asked him to dump that Laptop. This time he turned towards me for little more than a fraction of second. Nodded his head and went back staring at the laptop screen. A great job of what to wear to the party was accomplished.

Minutes later .... Kavita calls again. I looked at her number undecided if I was prepared for another monologue. Hello ..... Hey,she started "we have decided every one's wearing traditional attire. I rolled my eyes .... who in this world are "We" to decide what I am going to wear. So Kurta is traditional right ? Umm, no Saree .... in her typical southern accent. Again a long monologue of who was wearing what. The Secrets are spilled. She was wearing a maroon jardoshi, something similar to Tulsi and Parvati from Ekta Kapoor's never ending serials. It had cost her a fortune, heavily embroidered , latest design .... blah blah blah !! And me on the other side of the phone with an artificial ... woow, lovely , gorgeous , pretty kinda words. Guess any fool in the world can make it out that I was pretending. The exhaustive monologue ended leaving me tired and sweating.

Confused again I walked to my closet. Pulled out some of my sarees .... Nah can't wear them. Won't be comfortable for me to hold the plates loaded with food. Toss them back again.

Will decide on the party day.

Party and after party talks to continue .......

Note : All names are fictitious. No Offense to anyone intended.