Hilsa Curry

Variety of mango has flooded fruit shops of my neighbourhood. In the fish market mid length Hilsa labeled with high value were peeping out of the fish sellers make shift cold store basket. I kept the fishy appetite on hold for this weekend. Is expecting the first shower of monsoon to pour in following weeks!!

Rich season with all kind of cherries, jack fruit, litchis and grapes sharing space with king of fruits makes this all the more special.

Afternoon dessert platter looks mind blowing!!

This season handshaking of summer to monsoon is the ultimate epitome of life that comes forth to say how pain and pleasure co-exists one hugging the other just to spice life with a desire of some more! This desire of natural down pour to quench the thirst of burning land, itch of unwanted rashes, restore productivity fall makes monsoon more a celebration to start with…

… and then like all past monsoons we would look forward for a clear sky with picture perfect curvy milk white cloud.

Was about to pick the healthy ripe Himsagar a special variety of regional mango from the fruit basket for an afternoon fiesta, that the black plain old telephone rang. My phone doesn’t have caller identification and hence the suspense of identification remains. Such odd hour calls are always received with apprehension. Can't agree more with Sharukh ( more in news after the recent KKR win in IPL season 5 ..that made glory of sports splash the joy on politics too !! oops digracing ..) that we are more afraid to be a failure than not be successful. Read it in Arindam Chaudhuri's ' "The Diamond in You!"..

If your eye brows are squeezing seeing these celebrity names let me clarify - I pick up these thin paperback books because I want to completely read one and the crispy looks appeal me more than what book I pick up these days. Over years have realised book reading is an art and an infection at the same go.

Lonely summer noon, left behind the mango on the dining table and with perfect hurry picked up the receiver, to hear my youngest cousin on the other end.

- “Hi ..”
- “My board results are declared..” a proud voice kept going .. “ I scored 85% …” …

- “Great news .. Congratulations !!! …”

- “What is your maths score?” – I followed the same question pattern that was transferred as family heir. Strangely the orientation never changed!

That is a transitioned mindset passed over generation!

He is the youngest among all of us! With this we close the door of school as a family for this generation. More than being critical on where he scored what – which he was more energized to share, it took me back to a similar summer noon of a dry township left behind years back. Score sheet varied but excitement was at par. The remembrance flavoured sweeter than the ripe mango.

As we continued realized my cousin’s calendar seemed overbooked with tutorial sessions cued to ensure another success call for the next academic milestone. Confidence of success made us conclude the happy break-news with best wishes and a lunch invitation to celebrate over a Hilsa curry and Mango Lassi on a following Sunday.

Garnished well finished mango cubes with one spoon of freezing cold Amul cream. Bunch of old success celebration memories flashed back. Sumptuous lunch, a HMT wrist watch, a novel by Tagore wrapped in glossy paper and loads of good wishes for life ahead!

Over years wrist watch has spaced out to fancy mobile handsets, novels have given way to music albums, just that the appetite for spicy Hilsa remains as exciting as ever!! …And what remains uncompromising by heir is over flowing mentoring hours of dos and don’ts of next milestones to be.

The degrees and certificates will expire over time. New Success will override old success. Failures would peep in to challenge accomplished success. Life would continue with summers and monsoons. Small celebration keeps it going.

Gyan #40 - Success is seasonal – they come and go, they come forth to show the glory of time!