SUNDAY CURRY



It was Friday, the last working day, and whole of the energy enthusiasm had given way for a relaxed and peaceful holiday. 

Me and my boss were working late in the office.  Just as I thought the work was over and was about to leave, his heavy voice asked me of my plans for Sunday.  I was quite.  He presumed I was free.  Before I could find some reasons, he asked me to visit his house on Sunday.  I had no choice but to agree.  Must be some thing important, I thought so.

My boss was a man of few words and I could feel that if was asking so, there must be some thing only important and meaningful.  In my dreams, I could only see me conversing with my boss.

On Sunday, I reached his house well on time.  He himself brought me a glass of water.  I asked him politely if no one was there in the house.  He too replied very politely that every one was there and watching TV and if I wanted to meet them.

This was the first time I was seeing my boss in casual dress, a cream colour short and a blue t-shirt. He was looking quite different from his office attire.  Quite relaxed, he was a different man.  I was wondering he was upto something and my coming brought a break in his activity.  Before I could ask him anything, he asked me to follow him.  Passing through the `verandah’ we entered into his kitchen.  Kitchen – full of vegetables and all designer instruments to dress-up and un-dress the vegetables.

Sir, are you cooking something ? I asked hesitantly. He smiled, yes, and I do it every Sunday.  I asked again, Why Sir, don’t you have your wife to cook food or a servant for this work ?.  My wife and servant, both are watching TV with rest of the family, he replied while cutting vegetables.  They all are here in the house, but today there entry in the kitchen is banned, Sunday is my day, he continued.

I was surprised to see this behaviour of my boss.  He was clearing the vegetables must quicker then the files.

I asked him again, `sir, but why are you cooking? It is not the ladies job or job of a `maharaj’.   While cutting vegetables, he started replied, whole week, day & night, we just work.  We have so much of official burden and pressure that makes all of us too monotonous and the mind goes for a six.  We meet so many people of so much of different nature & behaviour, deal with so much variety of views & issues that by the time we reach the last working day of the week, our mind is only hoping for a relaxed day to unwind the fully winded-up mind. If you notice the last working day, the issues start dragging and freshness of the mind is almost lost.

This is where the mind needs a break. Break from the monotonous routine official schedules.  Break from the meetings and disposal of files.  Break from all officials procedures, he continued.

I asked him again, Sir, why don’t you go for a movie or to the club or just to meet your relatives or probably watch TV programmes of your interest. They may relax your mind. To which he replied, these entire things are kept for Saturday, but not for Sunday.  Sunday is my day for the SUNDAY CURRY.  Nothing relaxes me more than my Sunday Curry.

He could see that I had a lot of queries in my mind and that actually I was waiting for the exact reason for the `Sunday Curry’.  Even though I tried, I could not hide anxiety on my face, after all I have been working with him day and night.

Sensing my queries, he explained, look, the mind needs to do something different from the routine work to get relaxed. We watch TV regularly but watching movies I do not like.  We meet relatives once in a month or probably two months.  What is creative and constructive about all this ?

I realized, he was only right, and certainly not that much wrong.

It is not that I am preparing lunch for my family, actually it is my way of unwinding myself and while doing so I am also being constructive.  This entire activity relaxes my mind, heart and soul, he smiled.  I am breaking my routine by doing something which is entirely different and unexpected out of me.  Right from bringing vegetables from the market to washing them, cutting and then cooking, putting all `masalas’, everything is done by me.  I apply my creative thoughts in every aspect.

I asked him again, but sir, how do you unwind yourself by doing this ?

He replied, whenever you do something which is already been done by someone else, you try to do it differently.  This is human psychology. You add your input to give it a cutting edge.  You try all kinds of experiments and apply all tricks of the trade.

Pointing to vegetables he spoke like a philosopher, we eat almost a similar kind of food every day, they are also cut in the similar pattern and also cooked in a similar manner.  The taste of salt, chilly and other `masalas’ would also be almost same.

Here is one day in a week, Sunday, I engage myself in this absolutely different kind of activity.  Right from A to Z everything is done differently and I bring this difference deliberately.  The entire process makes me do a whole lot of creative cooking, which I enjoy immensely and the satisfaction of having food cooked by me, with my entire family, makes me feel even happier.

My entire mind is distracted from my office routine work, which totally relieves me from official pressure, he continued.

I could see very rare smiling face and a feeling of pride while he narrated the process. 

Look, washing vegetables is like looking at different issues.  Cutting vegetables is like dealing with different kind of problems. Cooking vegetables is like finding solutions.  And finally, serving food is like disposal of files.

I immediately asked him, but what about making `chapattis’ and having food? He could not stop laughing, well, I could never make round `chapattis’ – meaning I can never make every one happy.  And for having food together means – `kaam khatam’

But what about the reaction of your family members, do they like food prepared by you ?,  I asked.  I am now a trained cook and whatever I prepare, they enjoy thoroughly.  Everyone is happy because my wife gets a break from the kitchen at least for one day in a week, he replied.

Before I could react his wife entered into the kitchen and asked, how much time for the lunch Mr. Cook? and prompt came the reply, another 20 minutes madam. 

To my utter surprise, he got on to the job like an obedient cook.  I was also given a knife in my hand and was asked to cut the salad quickly and up came the boss voice, `do it differently’.

I found myself engrossed in the kitchen with him and enjoying the experience. 

The food was ready in 20 minutes and we both served to one and all.  No doubt the food was good.

I could understand now why my boss had called me on a Sunday.  Perhaps he could understand the pressure on my head and also that I needed to relieve this pressure to further enhance my efficiency.

Since then, every Sunday, I too have given my wife a holiday from the kitchen.  I have slowly learnt to prepare vegetables.  I too do think about the official problems and their solutions. The time the solutions seem appearing, the speed of my knife increases.  My family was initially surprised to find me in the kitchen, but they are happy to find a change in me.

The only thing I cannot understand is, how the vegetables I prepare ultimately turn out to be a `mixed vegetable curry’.

Perhaps, there are too many things in my mind.

(From the extracts of book `Me Within Myself’ - The incident referred is of the year 1990s)