Of three recipes and Sitapur Days..

"When I'm older I'll understand" said Lucy, " I am older and I don't think I want to understand", replied Edmund” 

― C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia

Life can be strange. We put down roots when we least expect and we become uprooted when we least desire. In a profession, where part of the job is to remain detached and move at the moment's notice, and yet, when it is required of you to nurture a place like your own kid, often it is the places which grow upon us. The invisible layers of dust and the grime we accumulate each day become difficult to unravel for the rest of our lives. Sometimes when I sleep, I do not remember which house I am in, and I do not remember what it would be like when I wake up. The houses, the long shadows of the evening, the chirping of the birds, the noise of cicadas become imprinted like childhood memories.

There are places and stories I wish I could write about before they evaporate. Sometimes I shut my eyes tight to keep those pictures alive. For me each of these 'stay' is like stumbling upon Narnia in some forgotten wardrobe- too difficult to conjure living in a box apartment in a city but every bit real because a slice of my lifetime belongs to that place. Sitapur was a Narnia-Wonderland rolled into one. So many lessons. So many memories. But in the end the decision to leave did not even take more than a minute. And once the decision is made, everything that seemed to fit into a pattern, seems like a chore, a burden and lastly, no longer one's own.

Of the innumerable indelible imprints I will carry upon my soul, I will hold the recipes of Khichdi, Pasta and Sooji Kheer most valuable. I have waited a long time to write these recipes down for the interesteds. However, with the passage of time (and more importantly age which is inversely proportional to available time and energy), it seems more important being able to let the memory stay alive first. It has been a year since I left and now I find it hard to even believe all of it existed.

To put it simply, I may never set foot in our Sitapur house again but every time we prepare these three dishes (Sooji Kheer being the breakfast staple of my little one each day), we will remember you Durga and Bishan. We will remember the countless meals we savoured. Of all the things I learnt in Sitapur, these three by far have rendered the greatest happiness and satisfaction. While you may never know, both of you will live in our family recipes for a long time to come.

"You can't just eat good food. You've got to talk about it too. And you've got to talk about it to somebody who understands that kind of food.” 

― Kurt Vonnegut, Jailbird