MIDDLE SPACE FEW people say they live only to eat, knowing well that overeating is detrimental to health, but who cares? Perhaps in a way, this is cognitive dissonance. After weeks of home isolation during pandemic time, one day I felt a strong urge to spend a full Sunday out of home with family. I gratefully allowed the happiness that Universe poured into me that day. Without any plan, we left the house to visit a temple. My younger proposed, why don’t we park our car somewhere and take a metro ride. We suddenly found ourselves boarding a metro. We had inhibitions. After Singapore metro, would we really appreciate Nagpur metro? To our utter surprise, since it was Sunday, the metro was sparsely occupied and we sat very comfortably. We were really taken aback with the kind of cleanliness, station announcements, display boards and other interior details. The gentry just like us had taken the metro for the sake of fun and not literally for transportation.

 

People were happy and relaxed and most of the passengers were casual travellers. We deboarded at Sitabuldi station and since hunger pangs were still to erupt, we thought of going quickly to a nearby temple. We visited Datta Mandir in Modi no 2 after many years and were awe-struck to see completely renovated face of the temple. Granite-clad sanctum, clean and well-kept sabha mandap and a tall Banyan tree with serene atmosphere in the temple greeted us. Now it was time to walk down to the nearest Restaurant Naivedhyam. Some 15 years ago when we were regular visitors to Buldi, distances seemed to be pretty long. Walking from Jhansi Rani square to Modi lanes felt quite a bit. This time, it appeared as if the entire area had shrunk. We reached from our car parking place to metro station in 2 minutes, temple to restaurant in 4 minutes…Wooo.. Strange!! Why do we spend too much time recycling old memories instead of focusing on making new ones? I didn’t realise I was making memories, I just knew I was having fun. Then we entered the renovated Naivedhyam restaurant after 5 years. Amazing makeover, new furniture, attractive layout and a huge buffet menu. Choice of soups and 10 starters, including barbeque, tasty choice of salads, veggies, snacks, Italians, traditional Indian Mughlai…every savoury was delectable and delicious.

 

I suddenly took a break and looked at the faces of others occupying the tables. They were looking so happy, everyone engrossed in eating and tasting delicacies. We had to struggle to taste every eatable before the stomach started indicating fullness. We didn’t want to miss any item; FOMO attacked us..I tried 2-3 sweetmeats, then my hubby got something even more interesting, “taste it” and then my daughters, “haven’t you tried this, you must.” Goodness gracious, whether I was happy or satisfied (supersatiated) I don’t know. I realised, why many people say they don’t eat to live but live to eat. I was suddenly convinced, yes we are earning and saving only for this satisfaction and happiness which comes from eating. For the next 18 hours, none of us took a single bite, That was the extent to which we hogged like being famished for years! The joy of eating is long lasting. I am not wealthy because I have a fat bank balance. I am wealthy if I can use my money for my true happiness. Stephen Covey remarked, “We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey.” Let the spirit in us have joy of this journey.