Tale of tangy mango pickle

I received a package from home. Someone was visiting so my mother decided to pack a few things for me. We sibling often call it as “Maa ka Pyaar package”. The package usually contains some food items, maybe some clothes that she bought for an occasion, some cash as blessings and a letter.

I know we are in 21st century and almost every Indian who can afford a decent meal can afford a phone connection. I speak to her each day, but we still prefer to write letters time to time.

Each time I get to know that there is a package coming, I can hardly wait. Food items are always a surprise and as always mom knows the likes and dislikes best.

So today it was. I received the package through my uncle and I could hardly contain my excitement. I could already smell the oil and tangy mango pickle. Summers have just gone by and she must have made some fresh pickle.

I hastily opened the multiple packing around the box and inhaled the spicy tangy aroma of my favorite pickle that took my back to our summer vacations in school.

For almost entire summer breaks, we had this ritual of sitting with our mother and aunts who diced raw mango for pickle. Young girls we were, played a silly game with the seed that was left out to decide which direction would we get married by tossing the seed in air. We teased, laughed and cried almost every time the seed got landed too far or too near.

But the real reason that we sat there was because we got to eat those slightly ripe mangos which weren’t perfect for the pickle but were perfect for our tangy chat.

All through the summers, my house smelled of mango pickle.

So finally I sit with a spoonful of mango pickle, clicking my tongue as I eat, and write the post about the nostalgia around mango pickle and its smell.

This post is written for Smelly to Smiley by AmbiPur. Check out AmbiPur at www.facebook.com/AmbiPurIndia