The 2 foot long mirror :the first thing noticeable in the dimly lit room and its unique placement at an angle of 30 degrees from the wall, facing the entrance door!
The maid,busily cleaning the place and wiping the tables and benches,which were to see atleast a 1000 people on that day!
The 10 year old,rusty contraption carrying a fluid ,fuelled by burning charcoal,that was placed on the corner of the verandah in the front, giving out the refreshing steamy smell..
An old man in his 70s,wearing a dirty lungi and having a neem tree shoot in his mouth,on the pretext of brushing his teeth and non-chalantly spitting through the room's window,as he kept counting the money from his cash drawer..
The old man's son,who was a bit stout and dark,always found munching something or the other in his mouth,secretly without the knowledge of his dad.His frequent visit to the back of the house to continue smoking the beedi that he had saved from totally getting burnt,the other night..
The old man's daughter busy shouting with a sudden interuption in the sound from splashing drops of water over an oil - smeared pan and the sudden,enchanting smell of groundnut oil that followed it,making our nostrils enlarge and suck in as much air as possible to enjoy that momentary bliss...
The old man's wife placing a huge bucket full of the much sought after steamy orangish red concoction,with random stuff floating in it...
The 6 minutes wait,when the butterflies flying inside the stomach became so noisy making bubbly hungry noises..
The fresh green leaf that got ready to die for the last time, brutally from being subjected to an unbearable hot substance ,coupled with the flow of the steamy hot concoction from the bucket!
Finally,the smile on the waiter's face reciprocated by an even more energetic smile from all the waiters on the bench..
Then,the moment of jubilation...the fruit for all the patience..The purpose of even having come all the way upto the college in the crowded bus,beating the crowd..The thing that was to fuel our activities all through the day!
There it was...The magnificently made "Uthappam"!The first bite of it made us all forget all our worries for a second ,as it disappeared in our mouths with the orangish red Sambar accompanying it!
"Udayar Kadai Uthappam" and the Sambar accompanying it,finally ending with the steamy tea on the varendah!!This saga in 1999 deserves a special mention in my blog.
'1999 - A love story' stays afresh in minds everyday as I gobble the tasteless pieces of bread and the glass of milk in the morning.
-Raapi
Posted by rajesh | 
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