In Tuks own words "I never thought that the men could pull it off with such style and elan".
Sitting over a friends place place over lunch on Sunday, we decided that winter was receding rapidly and we needed to have a picnic. Out came the phone and the calls were made to the people we really wanted to be with. Just one family couldn't make it due to some prior commitment but every one else said yes to the concept, because our words to them were"no idea of menu and venue,but lets hit it for the Indian Republic day".
Some men got the brainwave that the food would be cooked at the venue itself and all men joined the yes brigade.The ladies were apprehensive(thats a mild statement for the loud protests the rest of us made) about getting any food at all, given the idea that the men would cook while we women would just chill.
Like all our great gatherings this event too had to have a logistics party, when everyone gathered at Pashatuks place over dinner to prepare for the picnic and responsibilities were allocated.Some got to organise breakfast,some got to organise the snacks,the rest had to procure the raw material. The meal was simple- Mixed vegetables, dal, mutton curry and rice would be prepared at the venue while Rotis would come from the dhaba nearby.
Pashatuks managed to organise a farm house in Mehrauli on the outskirts of Delhi - a private property with load of privacy where we could do our own thing and no one would object.
All the processing work was done at the logistics party itself, mutton marinated, wood logs purchased and we were out of our respective homes by 8am. An hour long drive saw all of our cars getting checked at various police barricades and it was hilarious explaning the firewood, utensils and dog, but we did manage to convince the Delhi police that we were not terrorists.
Then we got off the main road and got onto the dirt tracks- our car had no problems negotiating the rough terrain, but we could sense the mental agony of the other car owners which were low slung.However the entire lot of apprehension and negativity of the last 2 days( we are never going to get a meal, lets take some back up maggi noodles and some quick snacks, you guys are irresponsible we are getting old etc etc) flew right out of our minds as the caretaker opened the gates of the farm.
Well manicured lawns, with a swimming pool and an extremely clean western toilet reassured the naysayers.And potable drinking water was available freely too. What more does one need on a picnic. With the sun beating on our shoulders , the warmwear started coming off.Very soon we decided that it would be doing injustice to the springy soft grass if we had our shoes on- so barefoot we became.
There is something truly liberating about walking barefoot in the park. Breakfast was quick-fix- sandwiches, bananas and eggs.
Then the brick oven was set up and the cooking started in full tempo. The good natured sniggers continued as the men toiled on in silence and the demands of tea, snacks and alcohol started coming to them, just the way the demands come to us at home.
The food smell wafting upto our nostrils in the clear weather suddenly had our stomachs churning for food,but we bravely suppressed our hunger and smiled.No one can call us unsporting. Most of us being small town people were enjoying the freedom of open spaces and the ones who weren't were enjoying the novelty and thrill of doing your own thing. The children were playing football, badminton, cricket, with us adults joining in off and on. Everyone was doing their own thing. Neuton,our labrador, our travel mascot made a wonderful fielder during the cricket match- the only problem was getting him to give back the ball.
Suddenly we realized food was ready and the ladies can honestly say that they never had better food. Maybe we were hungry and mentally at peace, maybe the expectations were lower, but the food tasted ethereally good, almost divine and we were in a state of Nirvana.All the detractors to the idea of cooking outside were silenced because like always, actions spoke louder than words.But we are good losers. We made a mistake in underestimating the men and we were gracious enough to admit it.
So amidst a lot of good natured bonhomie and ribbing it was decided that the tea had to be made in the dying embers of the brick oven,and two ladies were deputed, oops sorry they offered to do the honours and all of us had some extremely good sugary tea.
Recycled glasses, plastic spoons, Neuton eating off Styrofoam plates - who cared- minor trivia.
Reluctantly with the sun going down and the warm-wear back on our bodies we bid adieu to this wonderful day and came back home, exhausted but deliriously happy. Nothing like a good old fashioned picnic to set the mood soaring!
Pashatuks recommends all you wonderful people to try a picnic at least once every winters.
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