So, this happened.
A dear friend asked me to find two bottles of a specific brand of Mahua/Mahura for another dear friend’s birthday, and what should have been a simple errand slowly turned into a small urban odyssey. One shopkeeper had never heard of it, another had just “just sold” his last piece, and yet another swore it would arrive “tomorrow”, and then in a busy corner of Kalyani Nagar, a shelf offered me three bottles at once.
The first two knew they were spoken for. The third, though, stood there with a kind of hopeful Notting Hillish loneliness, just a bottle, standing in front of a boy. So I brought her home. Later my generous friend insisted that she was his gift to me, and I accepted with the kind of gratitude one reserves for rare and unexpected beauties.
Now, before Misbahji could wrap her in ribbons (to be presented to the birthday boy) a photograph was demanded. I had some bright citrus fruit and even brighter red chillies lying on the counter to offer the much-needed colour to the arrangement, and so, as they often say about these things, one thing led to another, and here I am, with Emily Watts caressing ‘La Vie En Rose’, and sound of ice clinking in a tall glass.
Did you know it goes splendidly well paired with some unpeeled orange and a split chilli, topped with sparkling water and sprinkled with salt? Well, now you do.
Where was I? Ah yes. The world is full of small gifts that find their way to you. I love you all. How interesting this life is, eh?
