I thought of making chutney today. I had decided to make it earlier as well...many a times. I brought coriander leaves and got everything ready. The first day I left the leaves outside as it was in paper bag. The leaves were wet, so they started rotting the very next day. Oh! I was disappointed. After a few days I thought of trying again, brought another bunch of coriander leaves. This time I washed it, let it dry for overnight. Thought I will put it in the refrigerator in the morning before going to office. In the rush of getting ready in the morning, I forgot to put them inside. In the office, I didn't even realize what I had forgotten. However, when I reached back home in the evening, I was glad to see that the leaves had survived. So I immediately put them in the refrigerator and since I was tired, postponed the program of making the chutney that evening. And then I forgot about them. The leaves had become too dried to be fit to make chutney.
I don't watch television, I don't have it, rather I chose not to keep one. People wonder how life is without a television. I used to give them some insight about it but now I have stopped saying anything. I just say that my priorities are different and television does not fit anywhere. I don't read newspaper either. Now this is something ridiculous because we are supposed to know about the few important things happening around us. I am not a person who can go into the details of a news/ event. It affects me. So I decided to have one app on my phone just to be updated. Initially, it was good, I knew about cricket, politics, #metoo etc, however of lately, out of 10 news, most of them are about homicide, rape, murder, sexually sick people, emotionally disturbed children taking their lives and the likes.
Today I decided again, to make chutney and I got coriander leaves. I called my mom to confirm other ingredients. Gladly, I had everything available at home. While I was picking leaves from the stems, I was wondering what would be in a rapist's mind when he decides to attempt such a heinous act...calling it an act and not a crime because we- our society, the bureaucrats, the government - are yet to see it as a crime. Hyderabad police probably considers it a crime so an action was taken immediately else it is an act unless proved. I picked an onion- the first culprit, sliced it into four- the arms, the legs, the male organ and the lust. Then I picked a tomato- the second culprit- sliced it into four – the arms, the legs, the male organ and the lust. I added salt and lemon juice to it so that the wound made by the cut pieces would cause a burning sensation.
To make the chutney, I mixed all the ingredients and minced them thoroughly..rather little too much than required. But I was not done yet. My mind was still stuck somewhere. How can someone even think of burning someone alive? What does it take? Dare, maniac, impulsiveness, lust, fear...what??
They say, your thoughts affect the quality of your food. With all that was going on in my mind, I could not even think of tasting what I had prepared. I threw the entire potion in the sink and cried my heart out. I prayed to God to keep all women- young or old, adolescent girls, teenage girls, girl toddlers, girl infants, girl child in the foetus, girls living or dead or in coma, conscious state or unconscious state- safe and protect them. I deleted the news app and thought I am better without it.
