Magic Masala

I tried hard to do the perfect cut but I failed every time. My master wasn’t happy. What have you done? You have wasted tons of onions but still you have not learned the perfect cut. I am Nasser and I am a hotel management student. People around me laughed and I felt very ashamed. It is almost 3 months I didn’t learn how to do the perfect cut. Everyone moved to next level but I stayed in the primary class of cutting onions.

Banu my classmate came to me and showed how to hold the knife. All these days I did not realize my problem. There are plenty of ways to hold the cutting knife. If one is not working then we have to switch to the next. I tried the perfect cut with the new way of holding the knife and I got it. I wanted to thank her but she is long gone. Where is she? The very next day master saw my cuts and he appreciated me. I thanked Banu and moved on with my life.

There is something different about Banu, she makes wonderful soup and it tasted like heaven. I wanted to learn how she did that. I asked her what the secret ingredient is. She did not answer my question instead she asked me another question.

Have you watched Ku-Fu-Panda movie? That movie will give you answers. I got confused and walked towards a movie rental shop. I got the DVD and rushed towards my place. Movie was so hilarious. There is Panda, Tiger, Mantis, Snake and Monkey. At the end duck said there is no secret ingredient, now I am even more confused. The next day I went to her place to meet her she wasn’t there. I Waited and waited but no sign of Banu. The unanswered question and unclear clue was killing me. Why can’t she tell me the answer straight away? I could not sleep that night. My DVD player was playing the movie all the night.

Banu please stop! I admit I am such an idiot who can’t figure out the answer for the question. She smiled and said there is no secret ingredient. This is what Panda’s dad Duck said in movie. Oh God there is no secret ingredient at all. Now I understood, but how your soup is so unique and tastes good? Now this is right question said Banu and she asked me to list down all the ingredient for French onion soup. I wrote it down in a piece of paper. She read and added one more.

I was shocked to see that added ingredient. It is like adding chilies in a sweet dish. She did not give any valid reason for it. I had to assume here. She said it is not the masala that matters, it is your heart.  I am once again got confused. Our conversation started and slowly we not interchanged recipes, we also exchanged our heart. We got married and I have to admit she had upper hand in almost everything.

Years passed by and she got so famous for food amalgamation techniques. I work as chef in the same star hotel. Someone had slipped the Chinese chilli on the floor. Banu did not watch her foot and got slipped and her head was hit by the sharp edge of the cooking table. Blood oozed out and mixed with the Chinese chilli and the place looked so messy. A different combination with blood.

I froze in shock, I carried her and rushed towards hospital. She was admitted in ICU and I hardly get to see her. It is more than 3 weeks she did not get her consciousness. She was out of danger, but still in coma. Hospital moved her to normal ward and I took care of everything. Our family did not accept our marriage, we are living in different state and no one is there to help me around.

I am in need to money to take care of her. I had to go to hotel for my living. I hired a nurse who took care of her. Every night I will sit next to her and tell her all things happened to me. I don’t know if she can hear me. But silence is a cruelty for my brain. That Sunday I cooked for her. I cooked French onion soup and couple of other favorite dish in her way.

When I cooked, I cooked from my heart and every time when I add an ingredient I visually saw her face. I would have done this soup for thousands of time. But somehow I felt very new this time. I completed cooking and started to feed her. I fed her completely and I reached for medicine box, she grabbed my hand I was shocked and I got goose bumps. I saw her face with my wide open eyes. A tiny drop of tears flowed from her eyes. From that day she showed good improvement.

I am writing this is to whoever cooks, just add immense love and affection, your dish will automatically come in correct shape. There is no secret ingredient at all. It is all your heart!