So in regards to my writing- here is a brand new piece. It is a short and playful one. Hope you enjoy!

Bhelpuri

What would you know of the actual taste? Yes you see the rickety wooden trolley, and the array of steel bowls. Yes they are smeared with left over chutneys and pieces of cilantro and carrot.

You look so disgusted. why? Perhaps because laddo the stray dog (I named him myself just now) Is to close in the vicinity of the food in question? Or is it because the man behind the trolley is throwing ingredients into the bowl faster than your eyes can comprehend what the composition of the snack is?

He starts with two unwashed handfuls of puffed rice, then the onions and cilantro, brown and green chutneys and those chopped carrots. Mix, mix, mix and clang, clang, and on a steel plate you have it. A pile of deliciously spicy, sweet, crunchy and sometimes tangy assortment of savory.

What? You won’t try some? You took a shot for malaria, but this is just asking to be plagued with diarrhea, or worse cholera. You really think so? Why? It is nothing but crunchy veggies with an assortment of tamarind pulped with chili powder (now you are the one who said you could take it spicy.)

I have eaten it all my childhood, every other day after school; it would enter my mouth and explode with flavors. It would drop on my uniform and stain the already mud splotched blue shirt. Tamarind and chili powder create the worst stains you know.

I tell you, I ate it all my childhood and it is what I craved for when I study oversees. I crave it in the middle of the night when I have made a half hearted version of daal and rice.

"If you crave it so much back at university,why then don’t you make a more hygienic version back at home?"
You ask me this question so genuinely; it makes me actually want to explain it to you.
So I will- now look at the man, yes he wears a dirty wrapped cloth around him for pants, his white undershirt is marred with pollution and speckles of his culinary delights. Now look at the craft, his unwashed hands might actually give us half the taste. Look at the bowls so methodically spread out.

Yes they are uncovered, and yes flies may sit upon the colorful ingredients. Agreed upon ,that the man has scratched his groin in front of you . I will even tell you that I too saw him wash the plates with that old water lying in a orange tub. Yes, friend, yes I saw Laddoo the stray lap water out of it too.

I take into account all the “unhygienic elements”, but then look at the box of macaroni and cheese you carried all the way here, it is loaded with things you cannot even pronounce. How can you call that chemical orange powder –cheese?

Alright, alright, I admit it tastes quite good, and I too enjoy it now and then, but you see these questionable elements ad flavour to thethe food, may it be macaroni and cheese or this delicious bhelpuri this man has offered you, while disregarding your foreign hesitancy.

So if I can indulge in your orange cheese powder, and you spending thousands just to come see my world – you must let me spend this mere 10 rupees on you so you can taste this memory of my childhood.

Just once I ask you to try it.

You will? Really? I am so glad! I promise you will enjoy it!
You take a spoonful, half of the snack falls to the ground but it is inconsequential since the remaining amount will suffice for a good first taste.

Your face contorts. Your eyes seem to bulge. You chew. You smile hesitantly. It is different you say.
Very different. You take another spoon almost to bribe yourself out of this trolley infested street. You tell me you might need time to actually really enjoy it.

Oh gosh, you didn’t like it as much as I thought you would. Well at least my friend you tried.
You tried to taste something just for me and for that I feel special.
But friend, one thing eh- I wish to god you had enjoyed it completely. That way you wouldn’t curse me as much when you do get that diarrhea.