On Tomatoes and cooks. Its been sometime that we ran out of tomatoes, at home. The Saabzi tastes peculiar and incomplete. It is one thing to satisfy our stomach desire with salt-less curry but it is also another issue to feed ourselves with tomato-less saabzi- the food rather taste plain.It even starts to look like those unpretty actresses without their make up(s) in their original skin. So, i decided to spice up my kitchen environment- as it is, the kitchen completely lacks the cleansing, arrangements and tip-toeing of a soft and tender lady touch. Though my brother with his fine arts background and inherent artistic talent tries to bring some normalcy into the chaotic order. I went to the market for, as mentioned, i needed tomatoes in my Saabzi. At first, i thought i had entered a Tomato-land, or maybe my imaginations saw the particular vegetable attractive piled all over the market because of my high spirit and overly enthusiasm, and was drowned in overwhelming delight. I stood admiring the red, plump tomatoes for a very short while. People were scrambling all over, but i witnessed something odd. Men & women- humankind- were not going anywhere near the tomatoes. It is as if they were deliberately yet with deep craving avoiding it. Like the snake worshipers, reaction when they see a cobra. they worship the snake but they try to move as far as they can, when they encounter the same snake in reality. Come on!! they look so rich, ripe and ready to be ravished, and they are just sitting idle!! No one seemed to care! No time to philosophize the relation between tomato and people, i thought. Drooling, i went to the nearest vendor who had piled up the tomatoes with the killer looks neatly in the shape of pyramid. it looked even more luring! I inquired Tomato Kaisa Diya? (how much are the tomatoes?). To my gastronomical horror, 1 peice of tomato = Rs. 15/-!!!!!!!!! At first i though he was in his witty mood and was trying to sell some of his wit along with the tomato. Bemused i asked if he mistook them for apples and added I Aap Jhoot bol raha hain na?..... perhaps i should not have asked because he started ranting incessantly. With much disbelief i went to the next vendor, who I thought was a Tomato-man because he was selling only tomatoes. Same Price(d)!! I realized the whole market stank of Rs. 15 per tomato. I had a moment of flashback. It was like, when we were young and growing up and money was tight, and it so happened to be the birth day, and you wanted Rs. 100/- but you get Rs.20/- It was Money nonetheless and much more than what we generally get, and it was at its best. Sadly, it was not good enough to feed 10 friends whose mouths were perpetually open for some few days now. Felt so near yet so far. Anywho, coming back to the market. As i prowled around i noticed how easily people can substitute their needs. This young man comes along and asks for the tomatos price. He was told exactly like i was i told. His thinking reflexes were quick and amusing. immediately, he asks for the price of the potatoes, to which he was told Rs.25/- a kilo. Within half a minute he bought the potatoes and left. His face seemed unsatisfied and not amused, perhaps thinking about the kitchen life ahead, that he has to put potatoes in his saabzis in place of tomatoes, or perhaps both veggies spelled similar and can confuse his curry....... I went and also bought 2 kilos of potatoes and left the tomato-wonderland thinking deeply. In the end, it is good to have a brother who keeps the house and cooks exceptionally well, even with the absence of tomatoes, or else i will be riling in hunger! (Not edited..please auto correct yourself) :)
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 07:08:32 +0000
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