इमली की चटनी

इमली की चटनी,  Year 2000 

Venue: Running train, somewhere between Bhubaneswar and Patna. 

I found myself in a bogey with 3 very confident and loud ladies who had boarded the train at Cuttack. Exchanging friendly glances, they asked me where I was going? 

 I said:' Patna.

' अकेले? 

 I said: 'Yes.' 

 ‘वाह बहुत बहादुर हो तुम !’

 I felt nice but told them modestly that it was my first time so I was not really sure about that..

 फिर हम बातें में उलझ गए और बात आयी होली पर ! होली में अगर दही बड़ा के साथ इमली की चटनी नहीं हुई तो सब मेहनत बेकार ! Since I was recently married and didn’t know the nuances of cooking I asked them to share me the recipe. They explained in details all the ingredients and the steps. I remember asking them - पिन खजूर क्या होता है? I had saved that recipe on a piece of paper and till today I make Imli Chutney in their style! 

 IInd PART: 

गप्प करते करते समय बीतता गया । लोग धीरे धीरे अपने मुक़ाम पर उतरते गए Cuttack पर तीनों महिलाओं को हमने Tata Bye-Bye कह दिया । ट्रेन ख़ाली होते गया ।फिर अचानक से रेल गाड़ी धीरे हुई और रुक गयी खेत खलियान में ! कुछ देर बाहर का नज़ारा तो अच्छा लगा पर धीरे धीरे अंधेरा हो रहा था। हमारे compartment में हम, एक बूढ़ी अम्मा और एक young student रह गया । पटना अभी भी बहुत दूर थी । 

 After 3 to 4 hours, we realised that the train won’t move an inch. Passengers had started de-boarding and finding an alternative to commute to the nearest city. We had to do something before it got dark! The old lady was getting nervous. She showed me a chit in which her destination address was written. She was travelling alone. Her relatives from Bhubhaneshwar had sent her with the chit which had her son-in-law’s number to contact. Her son-in-law would have received her at Patna .

पर पटना पहुँचेंगे तब तो! 

I was getting nervous. I was in a fix as to what to do!

While I was getting anxious the young student said that we had to leave the train. Plan was to board any other train which passed by. I faintly remember that the young guy helped me with my luggage and I carried the old lady’s and all three of us boarded some local train going to Patna. When we finally reached Patna, I saw my mamajee waiting eagerly at the station to pick me up! I felt so sorry for him; his whole day was spoilt in waiting for my train which we came to know later, that it had  reached Patna in the night around 9 pm.

Thanking the student, we took the old lady home as we could not find her son-in-law at the station. Remember those times were without mobiles! Back home,  I called up on the number that the old lady had given me. Her son-in-law said that he would come from Hazipur to pick her up the next day. Yes, she had to go to Hazipur from Patna. 

बूढ़ी माँ हमको बहुत आशीर्वाद दीं और बोली की अगर हम उनको अपने साथ नहीं लाते तो वो कहाँ जाती! 

इस बात को हुए कुछ साल बाद भी वो मेरे पटना वाले घर में हमको खोजने आयी और बहुत याद कर रही थी। शायद कोई रिश्ता रहा होगा उनसे पिछले जन्म में या कोई हिसाब बाक़ी रह गया होगा ... अगर आपका भी कोई हिसाब बाक़ी रह गया हो,  तो अपना स्टोरी शेर करें ।