Incessant rains in and around the city has caused havoc amongst the denizens. Water-logging due to lack of proper drainage system, thanks to the apathy of people at the top has added to the woes. But one thing that is the silver lining of all this is that the rains are an excuse to stay put inside and enjoy the pakodas. Yes, rains and pakodas are like two teenage lovers, inseparable and admirable in equal measure.
The warm aroma of the pakodas,the enticing smell of the garam chai, and the incessant rains outside manage to convince us that life is going be okay after all. In fact, no Odia household will be convinced that it’s really raining cats and dogs outside unless the eternal “Mom” gives them a plate full of hot pakodas and a piping hot cup of (ginger) tea. I assume this is the greatest love story ever told, much more than Heer Ranjha and Laila Majnu or Romeo & Juliet. While in other love stories, the third person in the love triangle plays spoil-sport, the ‘garam chai’ in this story plays a supporting cast to take the story forward.
It’s no surprise that while in the rest of the world goes in search of umbrella, rain coats and the like when it starts to drizzle, our eternal moms send the children to the grocer to bring oils, besan,masala, tea leaves, and the like to tackle the taste buds during the rains.
I, for myself, love to listen to the rain-drenched songs, in addition to the above three, and “Rim Jhim Gire Saawan” (Manzil, RD Burman, Lata, Kishore Kumar, Yogesh) in particular, to make my day.