Aahaa Chennai

The nectar was missing. The insect cried out to the petals. The crinkled petals gazed forlornly at the stalk. The stalk nudged the friendly  leaves. The leaves poked the strong stem. The stem swayed shaking the tired roots. The roots bulged out of the soil seeking solace...water. Ah, wetness at last! A kindly soul, passing by, sipping from a bottle, sprinkled some water. Water Series: 10

The small curry leaf plants, cropping up here and there, look tempting, reminding you of a job to be done. For those who tend to be, finicky about wet curry leaves sticking to the tongue, there's some relief at hand. Dried curry leaf powder mixed into buttermilk with a pinch of salt, hing and cumin powder plus some crushed ajwain seeds and sipped little by little, does make those humid summer afternoons fly. Cool buttermilk with the memorable flavour of curry leaves, coating your tongue, propels soothened taste buds to convey the message and as if by reflex action, you hold out the cup for some more. A traditional drink but suited for modern times too. .

It's that inevitable time of the day, the mornings... when there's  a rush to finish the work piled up, to get the stuff for the lunch boxes, readied and packed on time, when your eye is on the racing clock, and you just about manage to catch your breath, and take a quick peek through the nearby window, to find... two silently resting specks holding  onto green lifelines, parcels of delight for your weary eyes, epitomising total calmness, sending a message across.

Each day, at dawn or dusk, set a few minutes aside, locked  away, for a specific purpose. To pause and admire... the classic pose of a bud, a bird out on a walk, the peculiarity of an insect, the perfection of a leaf, the tenacity of a trunk, the awakening of a flower, the creation of a fruit, the many facets of  seeds, a pest in action. Nature's power: to kindle endless curiosity.  

The clock struck 4 pm. It meant 'kitchen time' for the little cook. Little hands juggled the lemons, fingered the warts on the shiny skin. A smelling session followed for a whiff of that lemony scent. The cut halves were examined, discussed and squeezed hard. The juice from a few lemons trickled into a jug. The seeds were filtered and removed. (Therein lies another tale.) The required amount of sugar was measured and added. The next step. Water entered the experiment. The juice made by 'doubly active' hands, was ready to be served. The 'filled to the brim' cups reached the nearby table, where a group of 'ready to cheer' family members, awaited their summer evening dose of refreshment. The little one awaited their response. . How many 'wows' did she count? None. Her lips trembled. 'Uggh! Aah!' She closed her ears. She could spot faces screwed up, mouths making disgusting noises, faces t...