Besan Ka Halwa

[Parapluie is the French word for 'Umbrella'. Why should you know this? To shield yourself from a 'downpour of lingual trivia.'] Paris announced the arrival of Autumn last week with an eight day continuous spell of very rainy rain and very windy wind. The spell continues as I write this. As I write this, the clock in India has struck 12 and my mother has turned a year older. In Paris, she remains 3 hours 30 minutes younger but I have to make do by only hugging the parapluie that I have just found. The parapluie that she had packed in my cargo luggage over a month ago when I was about to leave Delhi for Paris on my first posting. The four weeks that I had spent here were quite comfortable. Shifting to new places, meeting new faces- is like second nature to me (with masks, it is definitely a first. Living abroad is another first). My luggage arrived just 10 hours after Autumn in Paris.  28 cartons. According to immediate need, priorities were clear: Umbrella, rolling pin,...

Here is a compilation of words that went astray in my diary.  But 'all those who wander are not lost..'   'Bawaal' Woh bina miley poochte hain kya haal accha hai, Hum bina kahe kehte hain sawaal accha hai. Yun toh keh dein ki sab hai khairiyat  Magar ae Haraf! Chup rehne mein bawaal achha hai. 'Bawandar' Main rehta hoon us talaab mein Jahaan kabhi samandar hota tha Jahaan taare gote khaate the Aur sooraj andar sota tha. Jahaan kabhi kshitij hi kinara tha Woh khud ab kinara hai Jo mook pada hai khud abhi  Wahaan kabhi bawandar hota hai. 'A Teetotaler's Alibi'   Ab agar piyein bhi toh jaam bhara ho paani se... Ye ehsaas-e-maut ke zikr ki koshish mein Kaheen swaad-e-zindagi na bhool jayein.   'Snitch' Mera astitva meri kalam se hai Ye paagalpan picchle janam se hai Abhi waqt nahi mujhe khojne ka Meri shuruwaat khatam se hai.  'Malaal Redux' Malaal toh mujhe bhi nahin Ab jo khud ko tabaah kiya, Par ae Haraf! Tu Haraf hai wahi  Aur woh tha...