There is a story about a nawab of Lucknow which is often narrated to glorify, or perhaps ridicule, the lifestyle and psyche of the rulers of Awadh of yesteryears.
One day, when he was holding his darbar (court), a huge chandelier in a hall nearby crashed. The sound of shattered glass pieces made the nawab ask, “Kya hua? Yeh kaisi awaz thi?” (What happened? What was this sound?).
One of the mortally scared attendants replied in a quivering voice, “Huzoor, a chandelier has crashed”.
He waited for the ruler’s wrath. However, the nawab observed, “I liked the sound. It was lovely. Let another chandelier fall.”
Those present could not believe their ears. They were not sure whether the nawab really meant it. Nevertheless, the order was carried out and another exquisite chandelier destroyed.
What would you call it — cynicism, a typical whim or something else?
Every day we meet all kinds of people, many endowed with some kind of cynicism. Others have hobbies and fads that make them stand out in the crowd.
Years ago, I was told about a young man who, it was said, did not wear a shirt for the second time. I was not convinced. However, given his feudal background, the claim might have been true but how long was he able to continue his passion was not known.
Were the Lucknow nawab and this gentleman alive today, the spiralling prices, I am sure, would not have allowed them to be so whimsical.
But some people do betray one or the other kind of craziness that knows no bounds and could be varying in nature. My friend SKG, a retired executive, and his two young sons are voracious connoisseurs of good food with emphasis on variety.
However, sweets of all kinds including confectionery are their first love. The family hails from a region which abounds in milk and its products — reason why they have a weakness for it.
SKG, who is in his seventies, consumes plenty of sweets that are made of ghee (clarified butter) and sugar that are ordinarily forbidden for people of his age. But he defies medical advice.
His logic in support of fats: “Look, no machine can be run smoothly without proper oiling and greasing. This human machine [body] also needs it to keep going. Keep walking and strolling a lot. If you lead a sedentary life, the machine will not run.”
Any takers of this argument?
Well, so strong is his urge for variety that he manages to procure well known specialities from other regions no matter how much it costs. He is not satisfied with the locally available stuff. During the winters they would drive to cities in the neighbouring states to eat the best of gazak that is made of jaggery and sesame seeds.
SKG’s sons are extremely fond of non-vegetarian food as well. Ask them and they will tell you in one go what to eat and where. When craving overpowers them, Sumit and Mohit drive 80-100km even at dead of night. Time and distance do not matter. They must get their favourite dishes somehow.
The younger one told me that during a visit to Lucknow, the first thing he did was to rush to the Kunde Kabab shop where he enjoyed the stuff with parathas (bread). In Delhi, the Karim’s is one of their favourite eating hubs.
The brothers are not shy of admitting that they love meat dishes.
There is a widely prevalent practice of taking hot milk before going to bed. Laced with thick layers of malai (creamy crust) it is served at vends in kulhar (earthen pot) which releases fragrance of soaked earth making it more palatable. It is an addiction to many, including these young men.
Just before midnight, they would move out on a two wheeler meandering through the lanes and bylanes of the old city to the right place to have their fill of kulhar milk.
One evening, they surprised me by taking me along to an undisclosed destination. After an hour’s suspense the car stopped at a roadside dhaba (eatery). We squatted on cots meant for weary truck drivers, facing 10 inches wide wooden planks that served as dinning tables. The hot food served by simply clad boys was quite satisfying.
We wound up the roadside dinner with kulhar milk.
One might easily pass off these traits of this family as crazy.
Lalit Raizada is a journalist based in India.
