I Scream For Ice cream, What About You?

By

Shailaja Mohan

Lunch over we relax with an ice cream each. We watch the children running back to the rides chattering excitedly in between licking their ice creams. They want to be back in action!   We had been in the sun the whole morning… …combine that with the chlorine in the water and our skin was already red and peeling. We, the elders relax in the shade with our ice creams while the children run away to play. Licking the last drop of the Mango Dolly off the stick I watch the children dive into the Wave Pool. It was summer holidays and we were at Veegaland, the Water Theme Park.

I glance at my husband (was there a hint of a smile on my face? Perhaps..subtle so subtle..) Married for 20 odd years (Ahem! Come the year 2007 and it’s going to be Silver Anniversary folks! This is fair warning to all of you with gifts on your minds Hehehe!) And you don’t have to speak a word…A glance suffices to convey the message. My husband gets up to go get another ice cream and asks my sis if she will have one too. She declines, and gives me an admonishing look!

“Another one? No wonder you are growing sideways now!” (I had stopped growing upwards long ago when I was 14 or so! So no option but to grow sideways now. Huh??!) My husband was back with another Mango Dolly, my favorite. I grinned at my sis and forbore to reply, concentrating on the ice cream instead. She turns to my husband and says, ”Chetta! You buy too many ice creams for Chechi. That’s why she is putting on weight!!” I am tipping the scales at 53 kilos. But he smiles indulgently and when I finish the second one asks me if I want a third. I shake my head sadly. No more room!

Ice creams!! Who can resist them?!?! Can you??? I cannot!!!!! I love ice creams!!! ….So many flavors so many varieties. Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!

Summer of 1995… The children and I land at Udhampur to spend the two months of summer holidays with my husband posted there. There was nothing much to do except read books (the Div has a well-stocked library) and laze around waiting for my husband to come from office. Our food was brought from the Mess. Being free, the evenings found us roaming the markets. We freaked out on the many different varieties of fruits available! It was a welcome change from the green, yellow and red bananas of my Kerala. 

“Ice cream anyone?” asks my husband. The wife and children nod their heads vigorously in the affirmative. Soon a jolly Sardarji is serving us our chosen flavors……………..

 My children very soon made friends with others also staying tin the Quarters and they were no longer interested in accompanying us to the market. No ice cream could lure them from their games and newfound friends!  Now it was only miya and biwi for the ice-cream trips. The Sardarji running the shop would welcome us with a huge smile. (And why not?? “Ah Here they come!” he must have said to himself. “What a nice Sahib! Buying ice creams for his wife like this!” He probably daydreams about how nice it would be if all men were like this and sighs  thinking of the profit he could have made!!)

“Saab! Aayie Saab !!Aayiye Memsaab !!…(..calls out to the waiter to have us seated)

“Boliye Saab..kaunsa flavor lenge aaj?”(Which flavor will you have today?), he asks solicitously.

 He had every flavor of ice cream and any flavor cost you only Rs.10/-; that I feasted on all flavors goes without saying…and it also goes without saying that when I landed back in Trivandrum, I heard remarks like, “You have put on some weight!” “My! My! You have been lazing around what?”

Coming to our very own Trivandrum, there’s a place called Shivaji’s, near Althara Temple. I have been a regular visitor there for years now. The man in charge there has seen my children from the time they were tiny tots. I remember the early days when my younger son used to have ice cream shaped like a bunny rabbit. Now he has progressed to Falooda! After most special dinners or b’days or such, we always land at Shivaji’s for ice cream. New places have come up…but this is kind of closer home. By the way my elder son wonders if the fellow’s business runs on our custom!!! I have taken so many of my friends and relatives there for giving a treat.

That reminds me of an interesting incident that occurred at Shivaji’s. Once while at the shop with friends of ours, when we called for the bill, the man, made a beeline for me. Ignoring all others, he placed the bill in front of me. I was nonplussed.  Nobody ever places the bill before me when my husband is around!!! My husband himself was at a loss! …But I quickly put two and two together and arrived at the solution.(The answer is: FOUR! Always is!) I had brought so many guests to his shop and picked up the tab, it being my treat all those times. The ice-cream man had assumed, this was also one such occasion!! When he saw me pass the bill to my husband and saw the amused looks all around, he gave my husband a second and proper look. Well, he has always remembered since then, whom to present the bill to!! Hehehe..

Bye folks! All this talk about ice cream has me screaming for some ice scream!  Time to take the Omni out and head for Shivaji’s!! Coming anyone???

THE END