My Date With Andhra Food

Today I got to eat Idli with sambhar from new opened shop nearby. It also had 2 chuntnies. One of them was not had any taste. But the other one was so spicy that I needed to eat sugar to pacify myself. That sugar eating after such a spicy food reminded my first ever encounter with Andhra food.

First time I had Andhra food, after around 15 days I landed in Bangalore. I was staying in Laxmi hostel, Bilekahalli. After fifteen days of Andhra meals, new andhra mess came opposite to our hostel. Just to try new food me with my friend went there. Even the first appearance was different from our past experiences. First time we had food in banana leaf. We were excited with lot of caution. We asked for mini-meals. The difference between mini-meals and full-meals was that in full-meals they provide unlimited amount of rice. The first time even mini-meals was more than enough for me. But the daal, sabzi, kadi, and chutney they provided was so spicy that I drank at least a full jug of water. Even after that I had sugar with curd and again a jug of water.

Still till evening the spicy taste was there on our on taste buds. But we liked the food and went there again, this time with our other friends. After that it became our daily food for lunch and dinner. Hardly we used to miss that andhra food. Interestingly, after lots of feedback and request from us mess owner started making food less spicy or might be our tastes buds adjusted accordingly.

It's been long since I had andhra food but still I relish that food. There are lot many interesting stories attached with andhra food tourney which involved me and many of my friends. But I remember the food as a savior on which we survived during initial days in Bangalore.

One Night Stand

That night was different. It was gloomy. There was something not-so-good about the weather too. None of my friends was here in Bangalore. They all were at their respective places to celebrate Diwali. So, I was alone in this big city for the first time. It's not that I was new to the city. It just that I always live with friends.

To make life little exciting, I decided to go to the pub. There I was in 30 minutes at "The Royal Pub" in Brigade. Initially I was not comfortable in the absence of my friends but then I saw a pretty face sitting alone in one of the corner. I thought of talking to the girl to pass my evening. It was not that I haven't seen gorgeous girls in my life but she was different. She was in light pink dress with no make-up. It was hard to believe that I can notice so many things in that dim light.

I approached her and asked "May I join you?". "Oh, yes. Why not" She nodded affirmatively. Within 30 minutes we were talking as if we were known to each other from many years. Initially I hesitated but then we started with very general talks, then we moved to some intimate talking . After 2 hours we were there on the way to her apartment. She had the nice 3 BHK apartment. I was wondering that how can she buy an apartment in such a posh area.

Once we were there at her home, after some talking we started getting physical. I was little shocked but that feeling was suppressed by the excitement of having sex with such a gorgeous lady. I stayed there for a whole night and came back to my rented apartment in the early morning. I was feeling at cloud nine after having one night stand as none of my friends even kissed a girl till now.

After that incident I didn't get chance to talk to her. Firstly my friends was here and they were quite orthodox. I feared that they might tell the incident to my parents. So, I didn't tell the incident to them as well as spared myself from calling her. Secondly, I got busy as my project delivery date was nearing in my office.

But there was something after that night, due to which I was not able to concentrate on work. Initially I thought it was sheer excitement of that night. After sometime the symptoms changed to feverish feeling all the time. Whole day I felt dizziness, with weakness. But when it has been more than 2 weeks I thought I might got viral and decided to visit the doctor. He gave me some pills and advised a blood test. I thought it must be a routine test. Next day, I went to the hospital to collect the report. I was doomed when I saw in my report "HIV : POSITIVE"

Disclaimer: The story and characters are work of fiction. Any resemblance is purely coincidental.

Kahi flood kahi sookha

Kahi dhoop kahi chaya, yahi upar waale ki maya.

Mumbai flood is back in news. The news get the worse in 2004 when Mumbai halted. But now the news doesn't excites more as it is more like a regular news every year. Everybody is used to of the floods. Even after all the efforts put in to avoid it, but all this in vain. I do not know who should be responsible for this. Mumbai Development Authorities or the God?

But one thing is sure, the journalists from other parts of the nation are definitely much more relaxed and must be partying. It's been many hours that I am only getting the news of floods in Mumbai, it means that only journalists in Mumbai are busy rest are holidaying.

But all this was in lighter note. On some serious note I would like to mention that the floods are not only in Mumbai but in north-east states too and since last couple of days. But they don't make news. Might be the news are not worth of the air-time for top and self-claimed "responsible" and "fast-paced" news-channel.

On the opposite there are drought like situation in rest of the India. Long power cuts, high food prices, water scarcity are just some of its results. In MP, water-rationing is already in place since long. There were riots also for water. people starting feeling in cities that they are living in 100 years back when there was no light invented. I really do not know what many govenments, and civil servants did about it during their respective tenures.Let's not go into the way of solving the problems but if possible give it a thought. Till the time we solve the problem enjoy not getting the chance of viewing those s**t-like news channels, Rakhi ka svayanvar and many more. Try to know your neighbours, friends and live a social life like 15 years back when we were not confined to our homes only. We used to know all the families living in our street and next to that also.

Cheers to power-cut!!!!