Chocloate Brownie

It was a perfect evening – beautiful rains, soothing breeze, open windows, closed doors, romantic music and a hot cup of tea. As i was humming an old number and sorting my old treasures – I came across a carton full of pics, papers, wrappers, movie tickets, souvenirs and a brown paper bag that still smelled fresh of molten chocolate smeared with love of my dear Venice Aunty

Venice Aunty was by all means and ways not to be called an aunty – she was very very pretty. Her wavy hair always neatly tied, those cinnamon coloured luscious locks are still afresh in my mind. She had the prettiest of faces I have ever known and oh! so kind. Her deep brown eyes always were full of love and she would wear hippest of clothes – shorts teamed with polo neck tees, kimonos, floral pretty umbrella cut frocks, lacy tops with long flowing skirts, dangris with hand knitted scarfs, those pointed shoes, and yes the yellow peep toes, her ballet shoes..everything was so vibrant. The only thing that always remained constant of her was her soft palms always smelling of chocolate brownies and vanilla.She lived close to our convent and ran a small bakery shop from her home. She would make yummy apple tarts, orange squash, plum cakes and atta biscuits but her speciality was those fresh aromatic chocolate brownies..

Being vegetarian by choice, I never divulged into her delicacies but being a part of the foodie gang I often visited her tiny home to enjoy those with my friends – only for me th treat was for my sense of smell.

Aunty Venice would smilingly pack our orders and sometime serve us hot chocolate with her brownies as a gesture of our patronage.

She would always offer me and I would just smile back saying – Aunty I don’t eat cakes and pastries – I don’t eat eggs, but I gladly accepted her small paper cups of hot chocolate and relish the flavours among foggy misty damp winters of the valley.

One day while returning from my tuition classes, I saw aunty Venice carrying a big box in her tiny arms. She I assumed had been to the grocer to buy her bakery items and ingredients. I cycled fast to reach her and almost surprised her by shouting out from a distance – ” Hey Aunty Venice! may I help you?”. Those gentle eyes and innocent face was in such a harmonious balance of being surprised and pleased at the same time.

She kept the box on my cycle carrier and we began walking together.

” So, Whats up with you dear? How is it going for your board exams…?”

“Oh! Aunty ( I hate myself now for calling her an Aunty – I realise now, how it must have felt to her, when I am by all standards in an age group to be an aunty and sometimes when kiddies call me so, I feel so shocked, not in awe of taking it as a disrespect to my growing birthday candles, but to my ignorance of having grown up and not acknowledging it to myself ) – But imagine calling a pretty young women in late twenties (almost my current age) and a 10th grader calling her “AUNTY”.

Phew! Sorry Venice – wish I had realised it back then!

So yes back on the story track from my apologetic best

” I am doing fine Aunty. I’m scared of maths the most – that’s the only subject I have studied the whole year and next month is my biggest challenge – our first board exam is Mathematics!”

” Oh! dear am sure you would do well. Try to concentrate and not fear – I am sure mathematics is not that much a problem. You must eat well and don’t forget to pray daily. Your hard work would pay.”

We left on the crossroad near her small home bakery and I cycled fast to catch up on my lost half hour in that short walk across the town.

We hardly went to see Miss Venice’s place after this – may be a couple of times. It was beginning of February – and then mid of the month – and then the end of those 28 days – Enter March – 1st Week – the D-Day My first Board exam – Mathematics – even the chill of the air couldn’t stop the sweat on my temple -

I was nervous, I was damn damn nervous !

We had to travel 2 kms from my place in the main city to reach the Exam centre - Our school bus picked us from the campus. As we que up inside the assembly hall to board the bus – I saw Aunty Venice standing near the school gate – she waved at me and smiled.

I smiled back – only with a cold and nervous arc on my face. She gave away good luck cookies to all of my friends and to many other students some whom she knew some she didn’t – she did not come to me – and for me that was a bad omen! – I was feeling so restless – already with the uneasiness of appearing for my Maths board exam and then being disappointed that she got nothing for me.

Half my mind told me What the heck! she knows I don’t eat eggs – may be so. The other half came blaring - so what it is supposed to be the good luck wish – she should give it to me.

While still having formulae, theorems and disappointment of not getting good luck wishes spinning inside my head, I could hardly contain my emotions – when she kept a warm brown paper bag in my hands – smiling – she said - “it is for you my – don’t be scared. This is for you and you know what I have been equally nervous and unsure while making this – I have known baking all my life – but this was new - as it is eggless - I wasn’t sure of my recipe and of how it would taste. Yet I made it for you – Chocolate Brownie – I am sure you wull fare well in your exam. Good luck”.

I was teary eyed - not sure – why? That wasn’t an exact moment where I would have swept away in any other emotion but for the fear and fright of being blank in the exam hall!!

The exam went well. Before my exam I made a small prayer.

I could only relish the Chocolate Brownie on my way back from the examination hall, relieved, happy and optimistic.

In a span of 3 weeks I finished the biggest stake of my life my 10th boards. I left immediately after my board exams to Delhi to join my Granny on a visit to my maternal aunt who had a small girl and was recently blessed with a little new fairy.

I never returned to the valley that saw me growing up, I lost all my friends, I lost all my collectibles.

After almost 3 years I made a1 day visit to the place I belonged – only to find traces of my childhood and adolescence. This carton was neatly kept inside my study table drawer.

I just bought it back with me in my new world and when I opened the contents the only thing that still smelled of me and my past memories was this brown bag – that I had preserved – it smelled of life, it smelled of school, it smelled of friends, it smelled of Aunty Venice’s bakery – endless memories from past sprung up – and I kissed the bag that once bought me luck – my eggless Chocolate Brownie!

P.S – I scored 70 marks (out of 100) in my Maths Board exams. I was informed of my results being declared on phone by my parents while I was still holidaying at my maternal aunt’s house. Well, my first question to them was – Hi! Dad. Did I clear my maths exam. Trust me his yes was the only thing I heard - I didn’t even bother to know of my marks in any other exam and yes I did made a small prayer and thanked God and wished well for Aunty Venice.