Thank you, Sajani.

When the children were growing up we had two pianos in our house. One was an English upright made by Holden. This was really ancient, but had a very sweet tonal quality. Later we had a Rachals. This was a studio piano. Very classy, and the children, and Bossie, and Daku and Skippy all enjoyed the music. From scales to exam pieces to modern rock. After so many years, I am really happy my children learnt music.

Later, they grew up and left for college. They left home, and I missed their music. They learnt to sing for me, play for me over the phone. Flute, guitar, mouth organ would be played often. Piano ..... sometimes. Shantam would play at Furtado's, Bombay and I'd listen on the phone. For a good half an hour or so. Mostly Bach. Some his own compositions.He would play at the Church, I'd listen on the phone. We all liked it. Birthdays, Teachers Days, Mothers Days ..... the last few years my children have sung to me over the mobile phone. Sajani would often sing the hymn "Fear not, for I am with you". The Loreto Chorus was also a favourite. Shantam without fail would sing 'Words', anytime I wanted it. On Good Friday, he would sing 'Old Rugged Cross'.... because it was Easter,but also in memory of Toro. I loved his version of 'Old Rugged Cross', on the Church piano, in his deepest voice. On 19th January every year there would be 'Amazing Grace' with the guitar and his super-rich voice.

The last year or so, I listen to music with great trepidation.It actually pains me. I missed the phone-call songs. I missed the Furtado's piano, and my child playing B.Joel's 'Lullabye'. I missed the guitar strumming random tunes to which I had to give my 'expert comment'.I missed Sajani singing the Loreto Chorus. If nothing else, the School Song gave us both great strength to face any adversity. Why do I use the past tense .... I still miss this custom-made, call-for-it music.

Today was an exception. Sajani was at Godwin's (C.P.,New Delhi), and she phoned me to hear her play. I have not heard her play the piano for years. Not in the last five years. She has been away from home. Shantam and I lived each others lives through our music.All the time. Songs, piano, homesickness, joys, flute, guitar, anger, trials, mouthorgan..... the piano, and most certainly Bach. Sajani and I share a different kind of music. Today she played Fur Elise, snatches of 'Pianoman', a bit of 'Amazing Grace' , and the hymn 'Make me a Channel of your Peace', and a bit of 'La Bamba'. This ten minute musical medley filled my heart. Made an otherwise bad day come bright and joyful.

I cannot express my joy, my happiness. I can only thank Sajani.

Sajani, you made my day.

Villainous Vegetables

I am essentially a vegetarian, and I like most vegetables. I like fruits better, but will eat (or at least make an attempt) any vegetable. However I draw the line at karela or even the uchhe (a la Bengal). I think they are of the same genre. With its thick warty skin the karela is ugly and somehow reminds me of a frog. The uchhe is no better, Both are bitter and though I don't like the bitter taste, I can have the bengali titar daal, but I absolutely hate the karela. In any form. I like shukto. Only when I prepare it....... with the minimum input of uchhe or karela.Unfortunately the karela features everyday in our family ..... dinner or lunch. Even the children eat karela.

The next on my list of most hated veggies is the pumpkin (kumro in Bengali). It's squishy and sweet and slightly fibrous. Yucky ! Thankfully my family does not like it either. The Assamese call it ranga lau and add almost equal proportion of bhut jalokies to make a fiery curry. This curry is eaten with rice. Pumpkins ...... I do not eat.

The other vegetable on the 'no no' list is the tinda. This is a squidgy gelatinous stuff which is very popular in North India. I cannot have tinda in any form. My mejdimaashi (when she was in New Delhi) tried all kinds of tinda preparations on me. All of them failed to seduce me. She used to stuff tindas with a fish paste and bake them with a cheese topping. Called it by some fancy Spanish name. End of the day, they were still tindas. The only time this very favourite maashi of mine rebuked me was when I stoically refused this fish-cheese camouflaged tinda. She said I was 'too strong headed' !!!!

Otherwise, I maintain a very catholic taste where food is concerned. I am not really 'strong-headed'..... not where food is concerned.

Once when I was refusing to eat karela at the lunch table, my parents mentioned that we should be catholic regarding food habits. I was perhaps five years old at that time and did not know the meaning of the word 'catholic'. Dad explained the meaning. Adding that we are likely to be eating communal food most of our lives ..... at School, in College, in our canteen when we started working, and also in prison/jailkhana, should we ever took to stealing and our profession took us there!! My sister and I listened in wonder.

I tried the same line with my children. This time with the kumro being the bone of content. I wanted to pull the 'catholic' and the 'jailkhana' line on them. They retorted at once "Oh, but we are Catholics. We go to Catholic Schools. We go to Church. Perhaps you should tell Baba. He works in a non-Catholic office. Baba, eat the kumro !!!!"

Folks, today there is karela AND kumro for lunch !!!!