Eating out for others would mean
* a date with a girl
* a night of rest for the chore-weary housewife
*etc etc..
But to us it is an inescapable routine. The 'us' includes every single man or woman who lives away from family, for work or study.
So yesterday we somehow managed to miss the H13 mess food. So had to go out. And beiong perpetually broke all the time to varying degrees none of us had more than 25 bucks. Now we were 4 of us. THere were 3-4 options. The first one was vadilal. THis is basically a ice cream shop which doubles up as dinner and lunch place with fixed thalis. THis was OK with two of us. THe quality of food is good, but the quantity is a little on the dieting girl side. Of the other two who opposed vadilal one was too hungry and the other hated homely food. The next option was Harish. But one of us didnt like the idea as the food there was too oily for his taste. While we were thinking abt it one of the rajasthani guys amongst us proposed rajasthani bhojanalay. So finally we ended up there.
Its just a house in the back lanes, with the drawing room converted into the eating space, on the floor. With tattered plastic mats. Also the room served as a store room with sacks of flour and potatoes. It was a really small place and could hardly seat 5-6 people.
ANy one with a little hygiene would get squemish abt eating there. ON top of that one of us noticed a plastic pack with grams (chana) in it along with a thousand small insects. And to top it they had made the same gram curry. We could have made an escape , but for two reasons. The rajasthani guy knew the owner and would feel bad. And I also feel uncomfortable in situations like these and prefer to go through it, rather than make a scene.
The other two were really uncomfortable and i made it easy for them to leave by making up an excuse.
The first thing i noticed after the rotis and the sabzi was served was the rat, as it ran in and around through the maze made by the flour sacks. Soon cockroaches also joined the feast. There were also 3 naked toddlers walking around crying and playing.
We were sitting with our backs to the entrance. The kitchen was in front with the connecting door to our front. The only good thing was the piping hot rotis.
THe second serving of rotis was brought by a young girl. She would be about 10. She looked very out of place, rather she belonged in a tv commercial about chewing gums. Her face was really beautiful. But there was something in her eyes which betrayed the broken sould. My thoughts were broken when she slapped one of the naked kids for something. That action did not belong to her. IT was so unnatural.
Quickly finished whatever we could eat and scramped.
I am pretty sure i'll survive the food. But i'll never be able to forget her face.
