MANGO CALLED LANGDA

MANGO CALLED LANGDA

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

13/VII/2022

The famous saying that there is many a slip between a cup and lip came true today. Somethings which you love and like the most, just slip away from your hands.

A mango which slipped out of your hands and fell to the ground never gets dirty. One ensures that it never happens, even if it happens it is a few fooo-fooos, culminating with a long fooooooo and the mango is clean once again.

We were going past the sabzi mandi a couple of days back. Car brakes got jammed automatically on seeing ‘Langda’, my favourite fruits displayed on hand carts lining the road side. My heart melted when I saw a cart full of Langdas piled up in a huge heap.

The shape and size were indicating that it was the best of this season we had seen. I cajoled my wife to buy at least a dozen. She had just purchased a few the previous day but she too could not resist the temptation to buy these beauties.

I was sitting on the sofa and scrolling my mobile when this greenish looking roundel was kept infront of me. Anticipating the juices inside, I thought for a second to move to the dining table so that spillages, which I am capable of doing, could be avoided. I can even make my T-shirt eat the mango.

Very gently I lifted that mango to my nose and drew a long breath with closed eyes. The smell mesmerised me. If the smell was so powerful, then the taste had to be marvellous was a thought which lingered in my mind. I did not want to lose even a single drop. We couldn’t afford any mess on the couch at all.

So started the ritual of ‘ghulaoing’ the mango. Gentle press to its body from the bottom to the top and back to the bottom again. Both the hands were engaged kneading it slowly till it was ready to be devoured.

The time was approaching to squeeze a few drops of the white translucent liquid called ‘Chaip’, into the quarter plate. Now that the mango had been perfectly ghulaoed, I was losing self-control.

The wait was about to get over. A little tilt of the mango with its nose pointing towards the plate and a gentle press. Nothing oozed out. A harder press and just about a drop surfaced but won’t fall. Then I squeezed the mango a little harder and boom.

I had not anticipated that the side wall of the mango was so delicate that it burst. The pressure was such that one side of the mango spread and the remotes, side table, newspaper, floor and my T-shirt.

Can you guys imagine the feelings inside my mind at that moment? The loss of the mango pulp was unacceptable. Then the next worry also took over me. Wife definitely would now comment on my clumsiness and the mess I had created. Before she could say anything, I raised the white flag and informed her of the casualties of the mango barrage which needed to be evacuated pronto.

As I tried to balance whatever was left of the mango but juices had loathed my hand and continued flowing to my elbow. In my exuberance I lifted the hand holding the mango to see how far the juices have flowed. Inadvertently a slight press released more juices all over.

I could not afford to lose the rest of the mango so I dived into it from the side, sucking out all the pulp I could. The stone popped out with hardly any flesh sticking to it. One had to get a mop to clean up before someone slipped on the floor and the pulp which was splattered looked uncouth.

The taste was inexplicable and the smell was divine. I am going to be extra careful from now onwards. How can one ensure that the mango doesn’t burst from the side? I wonder!!!!!!!!!!

JAI HIND