Priceless Paani Puri

***The Cane and Cee series - PART 3***

I was getting back home from work in my personal auto rickshaw.

"Madam, we can't take the usual route. Nungambakkam is blocked. I'll take you via Pantheon."

'Uh uh ok ok'

As we crossed Greams Road, my eyes caught the attention of the various food joints and then there was this sudden hunger pang in me. I told myself, a BIG no, but it just wouldn't go. I had to eat something. I scanned my eyes quickly and found a chaat stop.

'Stop Selva anna. Take U turn please.'

"Ayyoo why madam?"

'please Selva anna*... I want to eat Paani* Puri.'

"Paani Puri means what madam?"

'i'll buy one for you, you please take the U turn'

"Ok madam" he spoke quickly as he zoomed past other vehicles and stood in line for the U turn.

Selva anna was my auto rickshaw driver since my college days. He knew everything about my college life and now he was a significant part of my work life too. My day begins with a missed call from selva, which means he is asking me if he should bring the auto at the usual regular time. If I return his missed call once, I mean to say yes. But if I give him 2 missed calls, it means I am taking an off.

Selva anna took the U turn and I quickly jumped off the auto.

'Get down anna, let's eat Paani Puri'

"No madam, this is a no parking area, you buy one parcel for me ok? I will park the auto little further down the road, you give missed call, I will come"

'Ok anna'

There were about 15 hungry men and women and about 5 kids around the simple Chaat seller's cart. The puri was stacked in a large steel container and the paani, one sweet paani and one spicy paani were stocked in large clay pots. A container with mashed potato, channa, papad, masala caught my eye and instantly my mouth watered.

'anna oru* plate Paani Puri'

Quickly he took one crispy puri, made a hole in it, stuffed it with potato, channa, masal, dipped it in the spicy and sweet paani and gave it to me in a small cup. With gleeful eyes, I took the puri and opened my mouth, when halfway through its journey to my mouth, it broke into two pieces and the paani fell down into my cup leaving me with one piece of the puri and messy hands.

And this was not all. Suddenly, this guy from nowhere comes forward to help me eat the puri. I looked at him and moved away.

Dude who is he to teach me how to eat a paani puri? I thought

"Miss, the minute you get the puri, you don't wait, you just stuff it into your mouth. The longer it stays in your plate, the soggier it becomes.. blah blah blah blah... bloo bloo bloo... more blah blah blah...more bloo bloo bloo..."

He just went on and on and on

"Ok, now let's do it again. anna one here please" he spoke to the chaat guy

The chaat guy performed his magic once again and produced a beauty of a puri

"C'mon Miss, you can do it"

'Oh k chuck this crack pot, let me try eating the puri and save my esteem by doing it the right way' I spoke to myself

The minute I got the Puri, I didn't think once about anybody or anything... I opened my mouth, to resemble a hippopotamus yawning and pushed the puri in through.

The flavors created music in my mouth. Loud bangs, soft soothing, then a sudden splurge of an orchestra.

I waited for the judgement.

"Yes you did it. anna, bring it on"

The chaat guy kept providing me with the wonderful puris and I kept stuffing it into my mouth. I would have eaten about 10! and I decided to stop.

'ENOUGH anna' I announced victoriously

"I'm Krishna" my paani puri guru spoke

'I'm Cee'

"Cee?"

'Yeah Cee, any problem?'

"No no, not at all. Do you come here often?" he asked

'hmm... no.. not often'

"Oh, well I come here once a week"

'Ok'

**long pause**

'Well, I gotta go' I claimed, as I took my phone to give Selva anna a missed call.

"Well..."

'Huh?'

"Never mind"

'Oh... Oh... Thank you Krishna!'

"Ha ha... You are welcome Cee" He smiled widely

'Ok then. Bye bye.'

Selva anna had arrived. I got in and we quickly made our way home.

In the auto, I thought to myself, that I actually liked that guy Krishna.

'Selva anna, tomorrow also same time. Bye'

"bye bye madam. And you forgot my parcel."

'I'm so sorry anna. Tomorrow I will surely get you one ok?'

"Ok madam. Bye"

So tomorrow I will go to the chaat stop. Let me see if I meet Krishna again.

*anna = brother, in tamil

*oru = one, in tamil

*paani = water, in hindi