One searches for a word to describe parts of a whole, without
which the whole will never be the same.
Even sans any individual identity of its own, the morsel makes such a lasting
impact that it overshadows the identity of the larger serving. Puzzled ! don’t be,
knowing my style of writing you would
have already guessed that I would be coming to something crazy. A large piece of cyber cake with a funny (as
in stupid) taste to it. So let me
elaborate.
As I sat savouring a plate of lemon rice, the tangy taste
of the lemon, the bright hue of the rice, the overbearing scent of the curry
leaves, and of course the culinary skills of the better half. Yet, what I was
left relishing at the end of the course was the joy of cracking one by one into
the crisp fried Chana dal which went in as part of the garnish into the ’Lemon
Rice’.
Lost was the taste of the rice, and presto ! dawned the importance of the Tadka dal. When the curd rice followed its place in the
next course, the point was punched in
just that harder. The snowy flakes of rice cooked in cream and curd, did little
to elevate as did the taste of the little specs of garnished mustard fired deep
in pure ghee. One forgot the taste of the rice as the mustard played hide and
seek with the exploring tongue, relishing each morsel, gently biting into each
mustard, the soft crack of it exploding and leaving behind a sweet taste more
lofty than provided by the curd rice.
The story did not end there, the Gajar ka halwa which followed would never
have been complete without the cashews. The list is endless.. , the sweet taste of the
raisin in a hot and spicy Samosa, the
one grain of pepper in the folds of a Mathri, the once strand of saffron
adorning a ‘Rasmalai’, the one piece of pumpkin seed perched upon a juicy ‘Moti
Chur Laddu’, the spicy South Indian Mixture prepared for Diwali, with the royal peanuts making it just that perky.
So what makes this morsel take over the taste of the entire
dish. Certainly not the quantity, for in sheer counts these small pieces of
matter are totaly out weighed by the larger dish. It is not even because these
are exotic items, the lowly mustard can
hardly call itself exotic.
So then what is it that inspite of a lesser identity of
their own, these morsels end up making such a quantum change in the experience that
they bring forth to the package that they are part of !
Now lets apply this paradigm to our life, the material
things that we strive for, the larger goals for which
we end up burning our energies for, years
on end, never measure up to the little experiences that make our life
complete. The sweet smell of rain, the
haunting feel of walking though fog and mist, the first rays of sunshine
warming the skin on a cold winter morning, the boxing fights with the kids,
making your grandchild ride your back, the experience of helping a lesser abled
cross the street, the joy of giving, sharing, playing a prank, stopping by to
admire a flower stall, to tousle the hair of plump little kid playing in the
park.
Little moments that make life larger, the canvas more
vibrant, the hues more contrasting, and tastes that colour your soul permanently, that which
the latest generation of gizmo or a career that you chase can never claim to do.
So what are you waiting for ! Go capture the moment,. As
they say ‘Carpe Diem’ - seize the moment.
Don’t forget, somewhere you would realise that I too find
myself being a small morsel in your life
somewhere, no matter how silly a part.
