Taste of Jalebi (Indian traditional sweet)
When I am small, I used to eat sweets more and more especially I crave for Jalebi. In those days sweets especially Jalebi are not common in our village, only during the sankranthi festival they are being sold,this festival is celebrated after harvesting the crops. They celebrate Sankranthi festival for 5 days. During festival time the people from 4–5 villages who are near to it come to this place and they all celebrate it together.
During the five day period its like a small exhibition. Shops for toys , sweets, balloons and interesting games are organised for children.
Year long the kids wait for this festival. The entire celebration is around a temple area. My grand parents gave little money for us to buy things which ever we like. Instead of buying toys I took my brother along with me to play area, where few betting games are going on . In that game we should keep some money on number we like they roll a die if our number comes they will give a cup of jalebi to us. As I like the sweets more especially jalebi all along the day I spent my time there. As I am fond of Jalebi Iam playing continuously, after some time my brother scolded me and he left the game. After my brother left after 1 or 2 games played I lost entire money. If I go and ask my grand father he will definitely scold me because he strictly said not to play games as they are addictive but without hearing I played and I lost.
But still jalebi is tempting me, I want to have it for any reason. I looked here and there I found a shop owner who regularly buys pulses and grains from our fields. I simply lied to him that, my grand pa wants money for the pulses he sold to his shop.The shop owner gave the money, again I went to play.
This time when I started playing, I was caught by my uncle. Simply he take me to the house and started inquiring all the things done,,,
I started lying to cover up the things.But as I am small, It took hardly a hour to identify the issue.By the time I was caught my grand father came to the house.He heard completely and went to shop brought 2 kg jalebi and kept me in a room and asked me to eat that, he gave a order that give only water and Jalebi other than that nothing to be given.
Initially I am happy after some time I lost interest in eating, just I am looking at the Jalebi but I could not eat a single piece. For the entire day they did not give anything. I am waiting for the sun to set, In the night when everyone is sleeping I thought of eating other foods. In the night, just came out to eat something,,, at that time I heard my grand ma asking my grand pa “why you did that to the little one”
Till that time I thought that, he punished me for my lies and for playing games
But I simply stunned for the answer he gave to grand ma.
I don’t know how much I understood what he said on the night, but after my grand pa death my grand mother told me this so many times .
“No one should not have such craving for anything,,, it may be sweet, food , drink, passion, gold,money , love or anything you should just feel/ taste/ achieve/ earn but don’t stuck there ’’
After 23 years of my grand pa death also, I can’t forget his words.
