PAANTHO BHAATH WITH PORA BEGUN

Arindam: - Arrey, why every shop of this area is closed today? What is the matter?

Kirana Shop Owner: - Saab, just look there. Can you see the big procession of TRS party? For this Telangana issue, they have called a 12 hour bandh in Hyderabad and they are very violent this time. So, nobody wants to take risks by opening their shops.

TRS Supporter: - Jai Telangana. We request everyone in this Miyapur locality to close all their shops and offices till 6 PM. Support us to form a separate Telangana state of our own.

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Shreya: - What happened? You went to the market to buy vegetables and other things. Khaali haath laut aaye. There is nothing at all in our kitchen to cook. Only 5 brinjals are there.

Arindam: - Sweetheart, today my office is closed. Not only my office, everything is closed today due to bandh called by TRS supporters for that Telangana issue. So, just relax and let us enjoy at home only, he he he…

Shreya: - bojho thyala…the what will we eat in lunch? There is nothing at all to cook food. Even rice and pulses are not there. Sudhu ak byala pantha bhaath porey achey…sei gulo kheye chalaatey hobey aar ki.

Arindam: - aaha, taah kano, we can even eat bread and butter in our lunch.

Shreya: - dhaath, I don’t like bread and butter. Better you eat that. I will eat paantho bhaath only. Your mobile phone is ringing. Just accept the call.

Arindam: - Hello! Natalie, how are you dear?

Natalie: - I am feeling bored at my apartment. Will you mind, if I come down to your house?

Arindam: - Not at all, it will be a pleasure for me. You know our apartment name, right? Just come to the 2^nd floor and ring the bell of the right side door. We are waiting for you.

Shreya: - Who is coming to our house on this bandh day?

Arindam: - Her name is Natalie. She is from a remote village of Poland. She did her Master’s degree from London and then got recruited in our company as a Junior Project Consultant. She is just 2 years older to me, but she is very sweet, simple and very touchy like any other villager. She got posted in Hyderabad office last week only. She is in our business unit only. We both became friends within 3 days. She is unmarried and still single. She has no other friend here in Hyderabad. She is feeling bored today. That’s why, I told her to come here. Probably, you can also become her good friend, dear.

Shreya: - Hmm…that is why, nowadays, you are doing too many overtime in office. Now, it’s a necessity for me to make friendship with this Natalie, he he he…oho, I think that she has come. The door bell is ringing. Hi, are you Natalie? I am Shreya; the Arindam’s wife.

Natalie: - Wow, your smile is so sweet and you are looking great in this saree. Yeah, I am Natalie. I hope that you will not mind, if I can spend the afternoon here.

Arindam: - Not at all, Natalie. Shreya was so excited that she has already planned to serve a special food item to you. It is Pantho bhaath with Pora Begun. You will not get this food in any parts of the world, except India. See, many a times, we don’t consume all the rice, which gets cooked in a day. Some still remains in that pressure cooker. But, we don’t waste those cooked rice, especially my wife never does that, after all; she is from a remote village of Diamond Harbour area of West Bengal. We just pour 2-3 glasses of water on that cooked rice to eat it on the next day. Look at Shreya now. She is just burning the entire brinjal in direct flame of the cooking LPG gas stove burner. The color of the brinjal will turn black like a charcoal with a superb smell, which means the item of Pora Begun is ready to serve.

Shreya: - Ei, the lunch is ready. Come on Natalie. See, the rice that you are seeing on your plate is the cooked rice of yesterday night. We kept it by pouring water on it. Just apply some salt and a fried chilly on it. Now, just eat it with Pora Begun and give your feedback about it.

Natalie: - Wow, thanks Arindam and Shreya. I am really enjoying “PAANTHO BHAATH WITH PORA BEGUN”.