Goat Curry
This was the first time Avijit had made goat curry since the time he had moved to the US. He couldn’t recall the last time he had cooked goat curry. May be around two to three years back? May be more? Avijit had been eating vegetarian food for a while now. “It’s not that difficult”, he was telling himself. The other day when he woke up with a craving of goat curry, he couldn’t bear it any longer. It was as if he was destined to go to Safeway and pick up the curry cut pieces. Before he went shopping, Avijit had taken stock of the masalas, potatoes, etc., to make sure he has all the necessary ingredients. Falling short would be a crime. While he was shopping, he could visualise himself in the kitchen marinating the goat pieces with turmeric, red chilly powder, ginger garlic paste and salt. “It would be delicious”, Avijit had told himself.
And delicious it was. The onions were cooked with a brownish tinge when he had put in the marinated pieces in the pan to start the frying process. He had used freshly cut tomatoes to add to the flavour along with green chillies. The curry reminded him of his childhood. The typical Bengali household where they make goat curry on a Sunday afternoon. Rice and goat Curry. That would be the perfect Sunday lunch. Dal and Sabji could be discounted.
After a perfect Sunday lunch, Avijit was going to take a perfect Sunday afternoon nap. After so many days, he was feeling satisfied. In minutes, Avijit was sleeping. Or more he was somewhere between being asleep and awake.
He saw that there were about five hundred people gathered in the temple. Maa Kali was being worshipped on a Sunday. Orange clad purohits were loudly chanting her name. Red coloured tilaks were smothered on the heads of three goats who were tied in the verandah. Avijit was in the gathering. A lot of chaos and a lot of noise. A stout person with a sword in his hand and a red tilak on his forehead was approaching the three terrified goats who knew their end was near. Avijit’s grandfather had covered little Avijit’s eyes just before he could see the goats meet their fate.
