Aaaiisss! Kuchii Aaaiiiss!

It started yesterday with a craving to eat pani puris in the middle of the night. However, last night I found out: 1. that hotels shut their chaat section first, probably because the Biharis sleep early, 2. So if you have a craving for eating spicy bhel or pani puri in the middle of the night, you are likely to be frustrated and land up with an itchy throat, 3. You might be lucky if you, meanwile, identify another craving, for instance, for Kuchii Aaaiiiceeee!

Wonder where that stick of crushed ice soaked in articifial flavours had gone all these days?! But here it was, in the three flavours of my childhood: Mango, Grape and Orange. Of course I chose grape. I would. It was my favourite flavour, except when it was a 'thiruttu' ice (and you couldn't go home with a purple tongue!

Never did think milk-icecreams were big deal when I was a kid. To me, then, nothing could rival the taste, feel or colour of a kuchiii grape ais, sold for the princely sum of Rs.two per stick. As the pocket money/dole increased, it became eminently more affordable and there were other 'new' goodies to eat like pizza and burger, but I never really tired of kuchii ais, to be eaten best with the ice melting and coloured-water running down your hand. Mmmmm. Ahhaaa, enna rusi!

I particularly loved the way the icecream man, who would be allowed inside the school gates only after hours, would reach into his wooden ice cream box and pick out a really purple grape stick, wrapped in flimsy butter paper sticking to the 'ais'. My tongue would water in anticipation!
The grape ais I had yesterday was not as good, the ice not so granulated and the taste muted, worse still, it din't run colour on my tongue, it was almost sophisticated and yet, SLUUUURRRPPP!!

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I have decided that I quite like the smell of 'vedi marunthu' in the days before Diwali. When only a few crackers have gone off, when it is mild, not so acrid and tells you that Diwali is round the corner. Happy Diwali!

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I also think I should write in Tamil. I wonder how.