(Narayana mess was a place where food was served, and it was also a place where the customers found warmth. While Narayana was the main cook, Biplab assisted him. Dorje helped, and Babu looked after the accounts. While all customers were treated equally by the mess owner, Narayana, he had a special affinity towards this couple, Prakash and Kavya, who were to be married, both struggling to find a foothold in their respective fields, Prakash trying his luck in movies and Kavya looking out for a job in IT. Narayana served them food even though they owed him dues for two months. He gave them words of encouragement. Though the mess menu was simple, everyone who ate there enjoyed it. Now read on….)
Narayana’s daily alarm, the distorted crackle from the loudspeakers of Parthasarathy temple in Triplicane, Chennai, woke him up. As usual, Narayana bathed after his morning ablutions, and reciting a prayer, rolled up the shutter to his mess.
He was surprised to see Malliga still working on a huge kolam. “What is it, Malliga? Such a big kolam! Is it some auspicious day?” Narayana asked, picking the Dina Malar and the milk sachets from the counter.
“Anna, didn’t you know that it is Aadi Perukku?”
Narayana raised his brows imply, ‘so what?’
“This is a special day in the Tamil month of Aadi and it is believed that if you pray sincerely a long pending desire is likely to get fulfilled.”
“Aadi perukku comes every year. If what you say is true, then there should be no one yearning for anything.” Biplab chuckled as he walked in with Dorje.
“If wishes were horses, even beggars would ride,” Dorje laughed.
“Stop it,” Narayana gently admonished the duo. “It is just a belief.”
Dorje and Biplab shrugged their shoulders and went inside. Babu, who had overheard the whole conversation, stifled a laugh. He stood near the board and scratched his head, wondering what proverb he could fill in today.
“Let us get to work now,” Narayana said, gesturing for Maliiga to leave as he walked in with the milk sachets and the newspaper.
The aroma of steaming idlis filled the air. Biplab was busy making the chutney and stirring the sambhar.
“Tell me, Narayana Anna, what wish have you made today? I am sure Malliga’s words must have set your thinking caps in motion.” Dorje said, winking at Biplab across the room.
Narayana shook his head with a smile, but he had in fact already made a wish. Though he didn’t fall for any of this blind belief, some things worked on intuition. He sincerely hoped his wish would come true.
“Look at the smile on Anna’s face,” Biplap laughed. “Anna, have you made a wish for us to get a Manni?”
“At this age?” Narayana rolled his eyes. “I am turning sixty-five next week.”
Their banter was interrupted by the first customer. A middle-aged man came in asking for idlis and Pongal.
“Have the idlis first; Pongal will be ready in five minutes,” Narayana said, placing a clean banana leaf and a glass of water.
“Are you new to this place?” Narayana asked, serving the steaming idlis and chutney. The man nodded. “I have come from Palakkad to visit my son who has recently shifted with his family from Bangalore. They live in the next lane.”
“Why don’t you add Sevai to the menu? People will appreciate it.” The customer advised. “We have it in every hotel in Palakkad.”
“Making sevai involves too much labour. One extra person may have to be employed. Weighing all the pros and cons I had made this decision of not including sevai in the menu.” Narayana said, welcoming the next set of customers, a family of four.
“If that Prakash, the movie maniac, doesn’t get anything worthwhile, maybe we can employ him here to make sevai,” Biplab seemed to be in some sort of a sarcastic mood. “Even otherwise, he and his girlfriend owe this mess a decent amount.”
Narayana’s countenance showed stiffness, making it clear the remark hadn’t landed well with him. To avoid any confrontation in front of the customers, Narayana turned a deaf ear and gestured for Biplap to take orders, while he went to check on the Pongal.
“No special sweets for Aadi perukku?” The woman in the family asked.
“Yes, of course, we have boondi ladoos,” Narayana replied quickly before Biplap could shake his head. Quite a few ladoos were left from the day before, prepared at the family’s request for a pooja at home. There were twenty-seven of them left. Narayana passed it on as today’s special.
The customers, as usual, came to the mess and it was busy like any other day. Everything was the same, except that Narayana’s face carried anxiety. He kept glancing at the entrance amid his demanding schedule.
Babu was the first to notice Narayana’s anxiety. Was he expecting someone special? From his seat at the billing counter, he gestured to Dorje a couple of times, drawing his attention to Narayana, but Dorje did not seem to understand.
It was 8 pm, and the customers began thinning out. The mess shutters were usually pulled down by 8.30.
With anxiety writ large on his face, Narayana looked at the entrance.
His face lit up when he saw an auto screech to a halt in front of the mess at 8.15. With a beaming smile Prakash and Kavya got out of the auto. They walked straight to Narayana and touched his feet.
“Anna, here is the amount we owe you,” Prakash said, placing some currency in Narayana’s hands. “I have been offered an important role in an upcoming film by a famous producer, and today Kavya also got a job in a multinational company.”
Narayana, Biplab, Dorje, and Babu were all happy and stunned. Narayana couldn’t believe that the wish he had made on what Malliga said was an auspicious day for wishes to come true had indeed come true!