Monday, June 14, 2010

Fruit Chaat



The woman walked into the huge waiting area, her movements tentative and uncertain, her eyes searching for that one familiar face in the multitude of strange ones in front of her, all the time wondering whether he would still be waiting. After all, she had been late - very late - in reaching. Suddenly she spotted him and her eyes lit up with joy.

"Just where have you been all this while? I've been waiting for so long," he said to her petulantly.


"Uff my dear.... we are meeting after such a long time. No 'hi' or 'hello'. Won't you even give me a hug?"


"I should have known better, I should've known that you would come later than you promised.....I've known you for so many years, but your habit of never coming on time hasn't changed. From the time we met, I've been the one waiting for you. You remember, don't you, how I used to wait for you outside your college, while you would take your own sweet time coming out?"


"Oh, why are you digging up the past?"


"That is because you've never understood how painful it is to keep waiting for someone."


"Oh please, don't imply that you used to suffer whilst you waited for me. I still remember you perched on your bike, puffing away to glory and chatting with the cigarette shop wallah and the chai wallah and the chaat wallah"


"Thanks to that waiting, I started smoking which ultimately led me......"


"Typically you - always thinking of the negative side of things. Thanks to the waiting, you learnt to make awesome chaats - the only food you ever managed to make for me," she teased. "But I must admit, I really have been craving your chaats . Everytime I missed you, I 'd make some. But none of the chaats I made tasted as good as yours. Least of all the fruit chaat. God alone knows what you put into it.....you never shared your culinary secrets with me," she complained.


"And I must repeat, there were no secrets. I just added a little extra bit of love. Plus, I always chose the fruits with care. The freshest possible, the best money could buy. After all, nothing but the best for you," he smiled.


"But my dear," he continued, "if you missed me so much, why didn't you come here sooner?"


"As if you don't know.....so many things happened after you went. Our twin grandchildren.... Varsha needed my help in raising them. I couldn't have just left her alone and come up here to be with you!"


"Yes, you are right. You couldn't have come any sooner," he concurred.


"Anyway, now we are together,"she said happily, linking her arm into his, "so stop complaining. But tell me something, you came here 2 years before me, so didn't they decide where to send you? I didn't expect to see you here at the reception. I was under the impression that I'd have to look for you."



"Sweetheart, how could I not have waited for you? How could I have wandered off anywhere," he said tenderly, "and left you searching for me? Be it here at the gates of Heaven - I hope they do send us to Heaven, not hell - or when we were on earth, when we were alive or after dying, you will always find me waiting for you. After all, people die but old habits...old habits die hard!"



A story about tardiness (and waiting) that is being sent to an event way past its deadline? Just what do you call that - cheeky or mere coincidence?
Thank you, Sandeepa, for accepting this very very late entry to the 2nd round of 'Of Chalks And Chopsticks'!






Much like the man in the story, the husband makes whips up a fantastic fruit chaat.
No big recipe here, just get the freshest of fruits of your choice. Chop them up in bite sized pieces, you need about 2 cups of chopped fruit. Toss them in a dressing of 1/4 cup orange juice + a tsp of sugar + 1/2 tsp of chaat masala + a pinch of black salt. Chill for about 30 minutes.
Garnish with some mint leaves and chopped nuts, if desired.
That is it. Enjoy!!






Fruit Chaat is also my entry to Priti's Festive Food: His Cooking Event















20 comments:

  1. Oh what a sweet story Aqua! :-)
    And that spicy fresh fruit chaat is welcome anytime. :-)

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  2. Beautiful pics along with a adorable story. Love that fruit chaat! :)

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  3. lovely writeup aqua..loved reading it..and heavenly fruit chaat...with bful clicks..

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  4. That was a very touching and personal story for me Aqua. Reminded me of my uncle who passed away a few days ago and I know he will be waiting for my aunt at the gates, such was his love and support for her.

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  5. Adorable and very touching story with droolworthy clicks..Fruit chaat looks irresistible..

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  6. A very beautiful and touching story! The Fruit chaat looks so yumm and I loved the pics!

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  7. Love the fiction and also the simply yet yummy fruit chaat recipe :)

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  8. I'm going to cry, I think - the penny dropped only when I read it the second time

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  9. what an adorable story Aqua. love the fruit chaat. freshest fruits make the difference. love that snap of fruits in that black bowl. very aesthetically captured.

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  10. Let's just put it down to coincidence ;)

    Fruit chaat gives you the best of both worlds no?

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  11. Thank you all for your appreciation :)

    Jaya, my sincere condolences to you and your family. It is touching to see and know people who share a relationship that is as deep.

    Sayantani, that is my favourite picture as well!

    N, now you've got me curious....

    Sra, I did try to write this in a way that wasn't overly sentimental - looks like I didn't quite manage it!

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  12. Aquadaze it is 12 tbsp as the beeg has to be drizzels a lot for the delicous taste.

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  13. Beautiful piece of fiction Aqua and loved the chaat too...

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  14. Excellent pictures and yummy too:)

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  15. Haha.. really cute story! By the time you got to Varsha and grandkids I started getting a whiff of the Pearly Gates.. :D Btw, I had really liked the Bhoot story last time too, can't rem if I left a comment. Really cool! Keep them coming! Cheers!

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