I’m a Catholic, but I’m not religious. Or maybe I am—just in a way that would make both a priest and a pandit shake their heads in confusion. I kneel and pray to Jesus with the same sincerity as when I press my palms together and bow before Ganapati. I’ve stood in churches with tears in my eyes and sat through pujas with the same devotion. If there’s a God listening, I’m making sure He, She, or They get my message. Around my neck, I wear a golden cross on a chain and a brown scapular. A symbol of faith, tradition, and, in my case, a little bit of superstition. If layering faiths worked for my ancestors—who probably had a rosary in one pocket and a coconut for an offering in the other—then why should I be any different? But faith is a funny thing. It’s easy to believe in miracles when you’re praying for a job, a house, or a good monsoon. But what about when you’re praying for something bigger? What about when you’re kneeling on the cold floor at 3 a.m., whispering, “God, are you ...
Before I became a journalist at 21 and joining The Free Press Journal in 1979 I dreamt of becoming a chef. The hospitality industry had my heart. I loved food. Still do.Back then, in the very-little-or-no-money days (Wilson College in the morning, Zenith Tin Works for the 8-hour shift beginning 3pm) joy came wrapped in newspaper or served on grimy plates and pieces of old mewspaper; kheema-pav at Dadar Lucky's just across from our building. Wadapav near Kirti College, Crisp dosas at Visava, and burji-pav outside Dadar railway station: greasy, spicy and perfect. Food was both nourishment and occasion. You didn’t need an event; eating was the event.Dadar in those years was a living, breathing, hungry part of Bombay. People rushed to trains with a wadapav in hand, argued cricket over chai at tapris and built lives out of chawls and borrowed dreams. I was one of them. A young man with a tall frame, gangly limbs, and a stomach that seemed to growl on cue.Then came a little twist of fate...
If 2024 were a movie, it would be titled "The Great Anticipation" , a Pune-based drama where the credits roll before the story begins. We began the year with grand plans and lofty ambitions. Spoiler alert: none of them happened. First, the Royal Carribean cruise. Oh, the cruise! An 8-night Mediterranean escape that turned into an 8-month-long lament over $92 loss on refund per ticket. Somewhere, Poseidon is laughing at us while sipping a mocktail and eating hummus. The Mediterranean called, but we ghosted. Next up, the Nandan Prospera stair climb. A two-story ascent, unassisted, was to be Alka's Everest. Alas, Everest remained unscaled, and the stairs remained... stairs. They looked daunting every day, like the Sphinx daring us to answer its riddle. The culinary dream of chicken curry and rice cooked entirely by Alka? The chicken stayed in the freezer, the rice stayed in the jar, and we stayed hungry for that unrealised milestone. I swear the chicken chuckled each time ...
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