“I feel like..”
“I know. Eating sweets”
“Hey, how did you know? It’s not even a month since you joined”
“Yeah? But if one hears that statement every hour of the day, seven days….”
“Stop, stop. Are you coming or not?”
Only Satya has a “sweet” tooth that matches mine. He is known to gorge on sweets and, being diabetic pop pills.
Being new to Chennai, he didn’t need much persuasion.
Shree Mithai was doing brisk business as usual. The Diwali gift packs with assorted sweets were tempting. But Shree Mithai’s famed kaju katli was what I had promised Satya. One look at his face and I knew that he had fallen in love with the katli. Ruefully he refrained himself. But he let it slip that he missed the savories that his mother made for Diwali.
A quick call to SB, who must have been talking to his German counterparts. Because he answered in rapid-fire German. Just as I caught the words ‘Suswaad’ and ‘Boag Road’, he switched to Tamil.
“Poor Satya. You shall have your murukku and seedai. They taste just like the home-made ones, if not better”, I said. That’s how we ended up at Suswaad, which in Sanskrit means ‘delicious’. Down a narrow passage, flanked by plants and kolam-dotted walls, the shop had all the traditional savories, including ukkarai, a festival special. Started more than twenty years ago, Suswaad retains the traditional ambiance and recipes.
When we were headed back to the office, Satya spotted the Cornation fireworks sale. I got to know to see a totally different colleague when Satya insisted and bullied me into accompanying him. I learnt that Miya Bibi, Toda Toda, Palak Wheel and a few others were new additions this year, whereas, Challenger, the musical rocket remained as popular as ever. Just then Satya spotted his classmate, which gave me the perfect excuse to give him the slip.
I quickly crossed the road to Diabetic Dezire, the perfect haven for diabetics with a sweet tooth. The shop, the only one of its kind, sells “sweets” made with fruit sugar, exclusively for those with diabetics. With a gift pack of assorted Dezire “sweets” tucked in my bag, I decide to spring Satya a surprise.
SHREE MITHAI 18, Dr T V Road, Off Spurtank Road, Chetpet, Phone: 4280 9999 / 2836 9999
Shop No. S-85, 2nd Floor, 3rd Phase, Spencer Plaza, Mount Road, Phone: 044 4213 4455
99/189, AI Block, 4th Avenue, Shanti Colony, Anna Nagar, Phone: 044 4353 9999
SUSWAAD 1/3, Venkatraman Street, Off North Boag Main Road, T. Nagar, Phone: 044 2815 2678
CORNATION FIREWORKS 84/96, G N Chetty Road, T.Nagar, Phone:9244215565
1-1212, Velachery Main Road, Near Medavakkam Bus-stop, Medavakkam, Phone: 92442 25565
44/8, Santhiniketan Colony, Near Mega Mart, Thirumangalam, Phone: 92443 30044
DIABETIC DEZIRE Ankur Plaza, 113, G N Chetty Road, Near Vani Mahal,T. Nagar Phone: 044 4212 1415 / 044 6458 8087
4/62, AC Block, 5th Avenue, Near Pazhamuthir Nilayam, Anna Nagar
Phone: 044 6458 8088 / 044 4217 2083