Pat, Arnab and Dalma.

Arnab:  You never made this before. How come no non-veg today?

Pat: Just felt like having Dalma. You’ve had this before . Ma makes it so often. It’s a true-blue Oriya dish.

Arnab: Oh ! this is that special dal that the ‘band-baaja walas’ have in a Oriya wedding?  ha ha ha.

Pat: Where on earth did you hear that?

Arnab: Your mother told me. Apparently they make it in gallons, because the Baaja walas eat tons. So you made this for me?

Pat: Ma must have meant it in a different way. You have the knack to look at the flip side of things. Especially if there is an Oriya side to it.

Arnab: Why are you offended? But, I must admit that the Bong band-baja walas have fish-fry and a ten course meal, just like the rest of the invitees.

So,  Pat, the band-party in our wedding had this ..…this Dalma?

Pat: May be they did.How does it matter?

Arnab: I bet in our reception, which my parents hosted, the musicians had the same food as the rest of the invitees. Bongs are large hearted, when it comes to food.

Pat: Don’t even get there . Why, yes! I remember you left my side in the wedding and served them yourself.  But you know what, the way your Bong relatives pigged,  I’d be surprised if there was anything left at all. I remember Poltu boasting about the 8 Pantuas and 6 fish fries he ate. Incidentally he wanted more but the guy  who was serving didn’t return to his side with the fish. And is it true that the entire Midnapur gang of relatives who came fell sick after eating the ‘bou-bhaat’ (Reception) food?

Which brings me to the point, baby, why didn’t your parents have a buffet arrangement like my parents did?

Arnab: becau..

Pat: I’ll tell you. Because they were so sure of a mob at the buffet table. Half my relatives must have gone hungry because they didn’t want to stand behind the chairs of those sitting, waiting for them to finish. Was that Pujo bhog distribution or our wedding reception dinner?!!

Arnab: Oh please. I saw them all. Everyone ate. ok?

Pat: Anyway I couldn’t keep tab. I was too nervous batting questions from your kakimas and mashimas. Apparently the gold I wore was too little.

Arnab: (sensing ‘gold’ was a very dangerous territory to tread on)But you digress. We were talking about the humble Dalma. And here you have seamlessly digressed to my Kakima. Listen na, can you make me Kosha Mangsho tomorrow? I’m sorry, never again will I belittle the mighty state of Kalinga! Make that Kosha Mangsho with luchi, please?

Pat: It is Thursday tomorrow. It’s my veg food only day. I made a ‘gallon’ of this ‘Band-baaja special’, Dalma. Eat that. Good Night.

Arnab: Shit.

(other Pat and Arnab stories in the tab above, under the header called- KG’s short stories).

*Dalma is a special Oriya preparation of moong-dal and vegetables.