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It was soon 1 P.M. the standard lunch time. All the lawyers moved to the 12th floor where the firm’s cafeteria was located. Rice, dal and a cauliflower and potato dish was on the menu. The food looked liberally doused in cooking oil. This was pretty standard cafeteria food in India, Amit sighed.
Most people were vegetarians; so non-vegetarian dishes were rarely on the menu. If you wanted anything else, including a chicken, fish or mutton dish, you could order from a nearby restaurant and pay for that. If you didn’t want the cafeteria food at all, you could also get packed food from your home. This was the healthier option that Amit had decided to exercise.
There was a lot of hustle and bustle in the cafeteria during lunch time. Lawyers poured in from all directions. The chatters slowly turned to cacophony. This was obviously the perfect time to whine about colleagues, gossip about bosses and crack jokes. Even the grumpiest of lawyers could relax during the lunch hour and be their somewhat natural selves.
Amit took out his hot case from his rucksack and grabbed a plate from the counter. He poured on it his home made rice, dal and steamed vegetables and reached for the next microwave to heat it. From the corner of his eye, he saw Naina sitting down at one of the tables taking out her packed tiffin. When she opened her tiffin, Amit noticed that she was only carrying cut papaya and an unsweetened yoghurt cup. She looked remarkably well exercised and toned, so what was she dieting for, Amit wondered.
The ‘ting’ from the microwave broke Amit’s reverie indicating that his food was re-heated. He took out the plate from the microwave and realised that no table except where Naina was sitting was by then available. So he sat down at the end of the long table farthest from Naina. Soon others started joining in.
Naina was quietly having her papaya. She couldn’t, however, help smelling the fragrance of freshly prepared rice from someone’s home, something which she so craved for. She was after all from Coorg in the Southern Indian state of Karnataka, which is famous for coffee as well as its picturesque misty mountain landscape full of awe inspiring water falls. Rice was her staple diet too.
This couldn’t be cafeteria food, Naina thought. She looked around to see where this appetising smell was coming from. Her eyes fell on Amit. She saw him having a rather small portion of rice with dal and steamed vegetables.
Naina was observing Amit actually for the first time. She was surprised how lean and fit he appeared to be, without apparently starving himself. He was clean shaven and his wavy hair was nicely cut short.
His food looked quite colourful. White rice and yellow dal. Broccolis were nicely steamed retaining their green colour. Carrots were bright orange. His plate was a nice rainbow of white, green and different shades of orange and yellow.
Priyansha, a colleague and a close friend from Naina’s University days in Pune, had ordered a Pepperoni Pizza. She courteously offered a slice to Naina and then to Amit but both refused gently with a smile. Naina was intrigued that Amit neither bothered about the greasy food from the cafeteria, nor was tempted by the Pepperoni Pizza. Others appeared to have no qualms about their calorie intake but this guy was different. At least in his eating habits, Naina thought bemused, he was quite like her.
Naina noticed Amit listening to other people’s conversation but not saying much in return. He was attentive but too quiet, she thought. After the meal was over, she saw him putting one of his hands in his coat pocket and taking out two Ferrero Rocher chocolate pieces.
He offered one to Priyansha, but when she refused, he took a bite of the chocolate piece without further ado and closed his eyes relishing the crispy, nutty, creamy and chocolaty taste. She couldn’t help noticing the satisfaction spreading on Amit’s face. Damn the calories, the boy actually had a sweet tooth. Now Naina was finding it hard to hide her smile.
