Eating Out

Pawan gives his friendships the same serious attention he gives his career. And now hisbuddies have been bidding him adieu for the past few months with a rare fondness. When hearrives (no doubt transiting between more adieus) I pull his leg about how his frenziedfarewells have provided endless fodder for gossip columnists. And so he quotes: Gulshanparast hoon, mujhe gul hi nahin azeez. Kaanton se bhi nibah kiye jaa raha hoon main(I live among the blossoms, but I do not care only for the flowers, I have learnt to abidewith the thorns as well).

Meanwhile, the petite Punjabi chef, Veena Arora, who reassures me that she actuallygrew up in Bangkok, quickly resolves our dietary queries. We begin with a tangy and spicymushroom salad followed by a clear chicken soup (Kaeng Cherd Kai Soup) for Pawan and a TomYum Phak, a delicately flavoured vegetable soup for me. I am thrilled because nothingtastes Punjabi and no one has barged in to pump Pawan’s hand.

Pawan looks back. Ten years, 10 books. He’s been juggling threejobs—diplomat, spokesperson for the government, author—and six columns everymonth. But his lament is that people only see him as part of the glamour world, they haveno idea of the hard work he puts in.

We’re now into the main course—having already polished off the Por Pia Chae,the crisp spring rolls—which for Pawan is Kaeng Kung, or prawns cooked in Thai curry.I ask for Kaeng Kheow Waan Chae, assorted vegetables cooked in green curry, with a richaroma of basil.

We move onto his new assignment, ambassador at Cyprus. He’s going there for thefirst time with his wife, mother, three children and his dogs. Also looming on the horizonis the launch of An Anthology of Erotic Literature. While both of us dip intocolourful water chestnuts (Thub Thim Krob), Pawan has a quick cigarette. This meal hasbeen a vast improvement over cold dosas and foul coffee. However, Pawan, I’ll missthose, too.