Pinku-Enchanted Life

Some places you visit and then yearn to go back to. Some places your friends in distant cities visit often, swear by and you keep oscillating between what the fuss is all about and wanting to go and check it out for yourself. Lings in Bombay which Knife from Finely Chopped visits quite often has been one such place for me. Since I live in Delhi this has not been an easy thing to accomplish then last year Knife came to Delhi NCR stayed for a few days and reviewed Canton Spice a restaurant at Cyber Hub which happens to be run by the Ling family. This had me excited, now was my chance to try out the Chinese food I have been swooning over long distance. One thing or the other prevented my visiting Canton Spice till the past Monday when I finally got a chance to walk in with a few friends for a on-a-whim dinner plan. The place had a pleasant ambience and it was very non chinese in its décor. What I mean is it didn’t  have red, dragons or frilly lamps. What it did have was a comfortable, w

Let me start with saying I hate bananas. Always have. Somehow its a fruit I can never get myself into eating in any form and that includes even with ice cream.   So when I said I want to bake a banana bread my household was in splits. Me and bananas just didnt match up. I was however adamant that bake the bread I will. The fact that it was whole wheat, no sugar and very little oil convinced me that try I must. As part of the plan I forbade anyone to eat up three bananas I had kept aside for ripening to the fullest. And on Sunday got down to baking this bread whose recipe I had found at Chef At Large from a fellow member whose name I have forgotten. Ingredients Milk ......................... 2 cup ( I used toned milk) Banana ................. ....... ..3 well ripened Flax seeds .................. 2 tbsp Pure vanilla extract....... 2 tsp Coconut oil ................. 4 tbsp Honey ....... ................. 6 tbsp Whole wheat flour....... 2 cup   Baking powder ............... 4 tsp Baking

Walking out of office for a quick lunch and a few laughs with a girlie gang is a complete life saver when you feel life isn’t taking you the places you were promised as part of the grown up deal.  And so it happened that four of us escaped for a quick lunch last week – the destination Dana Choga a restaurant with a long history of feeding Gurgaon people delicious, Punjabi food in a no nonsense straight to the tummy way. Accompanied by giggles and gossip we landed up at the Atul Kataria Chowk outlet and were lucky enough to grab the last empty table before the place completely filled up with the lunch crowd. The fact that the place was packed on a hot weekday said something good about the food. Now two of us are Non-Veg eaters with a vengeance, one sways in between and the fourth is a strict vegetarian and this means that we always end up ordering too much. After much asking around for each other’s preferences we settled on a crisp honey chilli lotus stem and some soft drinks as starter

Technology, potential, resources, youth we have it all and yet the joke is that ‘the Chinese grow because of their government and the Indian despite it’. How do we manage to gather so much ridicule as a people and as a nation when as individuals we are amazing? The world’s biggest democracy has elected its leaders and the world is watching with interest what it will do with itself. Having become the world’s 3 rd largest economy what happens in India has the potential to make or mar the fortunes of many across the globe. The energized questioning atmosphere has made me think about what I would really like our leaders to talk about and the direction we as a country ought to take to ensure that we develop truly and not just in the breadth of our roads. Here’s my wish list: 1.     Truly Secular : we need to learn to live with the Other in camaraderie and not just co-exist in the same space but in separate mental ghettos. For that to really work our only hope is to start

I had been really curious about a place called Sodabottleopenerwalla that opened a few months back at Cyber Hub in gurgaon. Reviews I read told me that the place served authentic Irani Café/ Parsi food along with a bit Bombay street food as well. Though I visited Cyber Hub a number of times for one reason or another I never did walk into Sodabottleopenerwalla. My stay in Bombay had given me some idea of what to expect in an Irani Café. Reading popular novels based on the city as well as following Kalyan,  Kurush and Rhea Dalal on FB and on blogger ensured that Parsi food would never be too far away from my mind. Since a chance visit to the restaurant had not worked out I made a plan to ask Parry to take me there for my birthday. So with much anticipation I waited yesterday for evening to arrive so that I could go and check out the place for myself. The interesting but non eye catching signage We walked into Cyber Hub, walked around the whole place and couldn’t find the place!!! Parry s

Selfie Dear darling Rinush Rini, You turned three on the 24 th of February and since then I have been meaning to write you a letter. One thing or the other kept me away from doing this. However the letter that you dropped into the letter box yesterday made me think that my letter is overdue. Your letter was a piece of paper on which you had drawn some lines and a few alphabets and was not meant for anyone in particular, you were however pretty adamant about dropping it into a letterbox. I suspect this has something to do with your favorite Doreamon and Nobita posting  something earlier in the day. I saw you and Dadda walk across solemnly to the letterbox while I waited in the car and after a brief discussion the precious piece got dropped. I smiled and wondered what the postman would make of it if he found it. At KFC, ur favorite joint You have started going to Big school and I can see that the big building and lots of people do frighten you a bit and you grow anxiou

Sujata checked the time yet again, yes it was time for her to leave Sunaina's three children were peacefully sleeping unaware of her plans.  She pondered yet again whether she should wake up the eldest and tell her about her trip but then decided against it. The Ayah would do the needful and also keep an eye on them till she returned.  Decision made she moved with quick quiet strides to the side gate of the bungalow where a taxi awaited her. The drive to the airport and the flight went in a haze and later she couldn't remember much of it.  It was as if some other force were driving her.  She came awake once the Delhi taxi started climbing the Himalayas. She pictured Deekshas happiness yet again on unexpectedly seeing her mom and wondered what her daughter would have to say about her plans.  The taxi reached the town sometime after nine. Almost midnight by hill standards. She chose an unassuming hotel for her stay and registered under her maiden name.  The night was spent lying

The man stood smoking against the pillar of the bus stop. His new shoe pinched a bit but he kept it on. He saw himself reflected in the tinted glass of a passing vehicle and marveled again at the difference a shave had made to his appearance. He had to be patient he told himself; last week’s disappointment must not dissuade him. He looked around, it was much the same scene, the old woman selling agarbattis in the corner, the sweeper who having finished his morning shift was waiting or perhaps whiling away time by sunning himself and the passing honking traffic and a few people trying to get a lift. At long last he saw the bus coming, it took the last turn and came to a halt right next to him. The girls spilled out laughing and chattering. This weekly outing was the highlight of their life in the residential school. Pocket money was hoarded for this time when they would be able to buy that yummy pastry at Aunty’s store or pick up delicacies at the neighbouring store which stocked e

Sunaina stood looking out at the fields for a long time. Her three children were huddled close to each other behind her on the floor. The quilt barely enough to cover their growing bodies. The money lender was due to come again today to collect his dues; she had hoped that by some miracle she would be able to collect enough money to atleast pay the interest but try as she might she couldn’t arrange enough half the amount. The moneylender had clearly indicated last time that he wouldn’t take no for an answer anymore, it would have to be either the money or her next time. She had tried her best to repay the debts, pawning the last bit of jewellery she owned even the little that had been gifted to her children but the loan seemed unending. A loan which had gone to fuel Inder’s drinking and gambling and which she now had to pay back with her honour. The ignominy of it ran shivers down her spine. The sudden flash of inspiration brought her to life. She looked again to check that th

Sujata felt excited, Amit was returning from his business trip today. She fussed about in the kitchen, a place she seldom visited. Her recent visits to her village had reminded her of all the delicious stuff that her grandmother used to cook up with simple vegetables and she had decided she would make some of that for Amit. His trip this time had been exceptionally long. Almost a month and she imagined that he would be craving simple home cooked food. She checked her watch yet again….she needed to hurry to be able to take a bath before he came. Sujata often wondered about her relationship with Amit. Her own feelings puzzled her. The only two occasions she could remember when Amit had held her really close were during her labor pains and two months back when they had both rushed to Mussourie on being informed that Deeksha was being followed by an unknown man. That was also something she was curious to know about. Amit had been receiving regular updates from the detective agency t

Amit got out of bed and walked to the bathroom, he was about to pick up his robe when the memory of last night came flooding back and he left it on the floor. Refreshed, he moved towards the electric kettle on the side board he wanted to fix himself and his companion a nice cup of tea. It was only at times like these that he ever bothered to do these small homely acts; it gave him a strange sense of relaxation and peace. In the other world he inhabited he was the lord and master and it was unthinkable that he do anything himself, there were always a retinue of servants to do his bidding. But times like now were too personal and intimate to allow for a third to intrude. He surveyed the messy bed yet again; his companion was still sleeping, hand thrown over eyes to shield against the light. Amit drew the curtains completely aside allowing the sun to come through and brighten up the room. He felt strangely young and full of exuberance though nothing in his measured walk and action wo