Not in my wildest dreams I thought I'd start cooking food myself. No matter what the odds were, cooking was off the charts. I had no cutlery or crockery or any utensil whatsoever at my disposal. Swiggy and Zomato fed my reluctance to begin the habit and by the time the lockdown began, I was completely dependent on online deliveries.
And when the country went on a shutdown, it was a bolt from the blue. Many hotels, registered in online food-delivery apps, were out of service. Even the ones functioning were giving away stale food and to add salt to the wound, our caretaker issued an advisory to stop ordering food online, for the time being. Other families in our complex were not willing to serve food to other residents amid the crisis and rightfully so. Two days into the lockdown, the prospect of starvation loomed large, unless I did something about it.
My best buddy, who luckily was able to cross border just before the curfew began, had left his room key with me. He asked me to use his utensils and food stocked, until he returns. With survival being my utmost priority, I decided to take the leap. My mother came to my aid and over the phone she sent me the recipes. It was not a cakewalk. Cutting vegetables was the hardest part and of course making the tasty dish that my mom prepares was the impossible part. But I continued and when I finally tasted the dish I prepared for the first time, it was an unforgettable feeling. A feeling of achievement!
Two months into the lockdown, now I've become self-sufficient, thanks mostly to my buddy and my mom. The funny part is that I'm enjoying the process and I'm not seeing it as time-consuming. To add to it, I'm saving some bucks too. Simply put, this new habit has significantly transformed my life.
#KeepTheHabit
(The writer is a government employee in Bangalore)
