I would never forget December 29, 2007 — the day I spent with my cousins and understood my capacity to eat. My cousins, brother and I got together for dinner. We got a table and were chatting with one another before placing the order. Then my brother asked me if I ever ate anything at home. This was a question I was frequently asked as I was really thin. I told him that one shouldn’t judge a person based on physical appearance. This conversation changed the course of the evening and some of the funniest moments in my life ensued. My brother challenged me by saying that he would accept that viewpoint if I ate the most. As he was sponsoring the dinner, I accepted his challenge.
We started with soup and moved on to other starters. After the main course and a Chennai special chilli paratha, I wasn’t done. Though amused, my brother ordered more.
I was too full and when I managed to get up, we decided to walk back home. But we caught an auto as I was still struggling. My brother was a little concerned by now and bought me a soda. He said that he would never put me through this again. Once at home, my father also laughed at my condition and suggested I either walk or go to sleep. My brother was worried sick about me. Another half an hour passed before I could sleep. I’ve learnt a few things from this experience. One, I can win a challenge when it comes to eating. Two, a source of joy can turn into a pain. Three, never waste food and four, I have the best brother in the world!
ADVERTISEMENT