The Old Man and the Kid: Bonding over Yellow-Dal!

The Old Man and the Kid: 

Bonding over Yellow-Dal!

How does he sense I’m on the terrace, the old man wondered. The terrace is not visible from the little strip of open-to-sky wash-area abutting the kitchen in the adjacent house, but the little boy hails the old man every day as soon as the latter begins his low-intensity strength-training exercise after return from a brisk morning walk.

Uncle, where are you? I can’t see you.

Here I am. The old man came near the dwarf terrace wall.

Why are you nangu?

I’m not.

Where’s your shirt?

Oh, I’m saying my prayers to Sun, ‘Om, Suryaya Namah. Please give me vitamin D. He orders me not to wear a shirt while praying.

Why don’t you pray to Ganapati Bappa Moriya, Mangal-murti Moriya? He’s the greatest god.

Who told you that?

My Dad.

Well, I also pray to Ganapati Bappa, but for my vitamin D, I pray to Surya.

~~~

Uncle, why do you eat yellow dal daily?

It’s healthy food, full of protein, and builds my muscles.

I, too, eat yellow dal. Check my muscles. They’re stronger than yours. He shows off the tiny bicep of his right arm, and noticing uncle’s unspoken doubt, challenges him to a panja-duel which he wins! I told you; my muscles are very strong!

How come? You eat unhealthy food; the other day, I saw you munching a packet of kurkure. Don’t you also eat pizza, Maggie noodles, chocolates, ice-cream, and drink coke?

Relax, uncle, I don’t eat that daily. Mama makes for me atta noodles with lots of vegetables, and she makes fresh orange juice which I love. I also eat bananas, apples, papaya, and other fruits.

He has figured out that the old man is obsessed with healthy food; and makes it a point to occasionally tease him: Uncle, today I ate  a burger, and drank a glass of coke! He loves it when uncle disapproves and frowns.

~~~

The old couple were seated at the table at 7.30 pm, as usual, and the cook was about to serve dinner when he rushed in, pulled his favourite chair, and declared, ‘Today, I won’t have dinner with you.’

Why? Not hungry?

Papa has told me, ‘You can’t have dinner daily with uncle and aunty.’ He has cooked chicken biryani, but we’ll have dinner when Mama returns from office. She has a lot of work, you know, which she must finish before coming home. Or else, her Boss would be angry.

He smelled the aroma wafting from the kitchen, barged into it and asked the cook, ‘Ramesh uncle, have you made yellow dal today?’

Yes, I’ve.

How much?

A lot.

A whole bowl?

Yes.

He returned to his seat at the table, and said, ‘Okay, I’ll just have a katori of dal only, and then go home for dinner.’

Why don’t you wash your hands, reminded uncle. He went to the basin and washed his hands with liquid soap, wiped his hands on his shirt, and chuckled when uncle frowned.

Ramesh served him dal. Before the roti arrived, he had polished it off.

May I have more dal, please?

Of course.

His katori was refilled.

May I have one roti, please, to go with this yummy dal?

He was given a roti which he shredded into small pieces, and dipped it in dal. Then he ate a piece at a time. Once finished, he asked, ‘Is dal finished?’

No, we have more.

How much?

A big bowl full.

May I have some more dal and another roti, please? What if I eat your whole bowl of dal? What will you eat?

No problem. We’ve the lauki curry.

The little guest is five years old, a very active child, and with a robust appetite. But his yearning for yellow dal surpasses his love for chicken biryani and other favourite foods – pizza, pasta, noodle. He’s fine with any dal so long as it’s yellow in colour - moong, chana, or tuar. 

(The Kid: Happy even without yellow-dal!)

Once, the cook had made chilke-wala moong dal. This is NOT yellow dal, he protested.

It's moong dal, a yellow dal, but with skin which makes it healthier and yummier, said uncle. He took a spoonful, readily agreed, and demanded and finished several servings.

Don’t you make yellow dal at home? Uncle asked.

‘My Dad makes yellow dal, but he puts chilli in it. Ramesh uncle makes it best.’

If he were a judge in a cookery competition for yellow dal, Ramesh would win for sure, and might even win a Michelin Star!

The old couple is yet to meet another child who is so fond of the humble yellow dal. Someone should check the data for India’s import of lentils, it might have gone up substantially in the last five years, thought the old man.

***