Food, Friends and Happy Biryani!

“Eid Mubarak!”, we went in chorus as Siddique got up to leave. And then a voice piped up “Happy Biryani”!!! Sid smiled quizzically at Deepak and left.  He did not seem very surprised…well, when you have a friend like Sunny, I guess there isn’t much that can surprise you!

This was the third year at the Kalari, for my annual rejuvenation therapy. In the company of an eclectic gathering this year – a globe-trotting contemporary dancer, a happy-go-lucky fashion choreographer, a camera-toting, itinerant gymnast from France, a “was a Buddhist but now working on a new identity” Vietnamese, a wanderlust couple from Pune – it was more than just  the body that was getting rejuvenated; the sheer diversity of characters around the table was enough to leave me inspired….And then there was Deepak too! :-)

Deepak can be best described as a character that probably inspired Sagar Ballary.  A good-natured kid who had come down to learn Kalaripayattu – though after listening to him for a period less than the time it takes to make Maggi you were pretty sure that there were only two things on his mind – Food and Pretty women…And Yes…it had to be in that order.

And so when I heard “Happy Biryani”, I visualized the Vahrehvah Chef biting into a succulent and tender piece of chicken, tears of happiness streaming down his cheeks…! I imagined the marinated pieces of chicken, the fragrant spices and those long grains of Basmati rice exchanging high-fives as the lid closed in on the dum biryani… Perhaps, the pleasure derived from serving people is what makes them happy – like the candle and the fragrant sandalwood incense sticks. In Deepak’s case too, he derived pleasure from being the focal point of our conversations!

Logical reasoning can also lead you to believe that if you can wish people “Happy Pongal” on makar sankranti^* it is quite appropriate to wish a person Happy Biryani for Eid! Except that his next question left me flummoxed – Oh, is Siddique a Muslim? :)

As some wise old soul said – Growing old is mandatory…growing up is not!!!