The Perils of Polymirchi

There is nothing more mouthwatering  on a monsoon day, than a whole mirchi pakoda (~jalapeno pepper fritters), or rather a plate of them, devoured with a nice cup of hot chai.....

It so happens, that my blogger friend Magiceye likes to inform his friends of all the interesting stuff he is enjoying, and he posted this mouthwatering snap on 365project.org.

Some how the shining gold, and the suggestion of green inside , and shining faces makes you think of life events. Like Swayamvars; events where in historical days, men competed to win a bride.  Today, times have changed. And so often, the women are in for a surprise.

Like the Mirchis ......

Old Swayamwars
were all about
the men proving their worth.

Times have changed.

And there is the
impending
Mirchi Swayamvar.

Chiranjeev Saubhagya Kankshinis
Mirchees
all waiting
in baskets lined with
green plantain leaves,
chaperoned
by the ginger brothers
and lemon and kadhipatta bosses.

Some tall ones,
wrapped in light green,
next to some younger cousins,
real short and stubby.
Then the dark and mysterious
medium height lavangi angry types
lying in wait,
for someone
with a matching temper.

Some slightly proletarian ones,
soaked in brine,
massaged with oil and kept out in the hot sun,
to improve their shine.

Some act real cut up,
as they are flung into
an oil performing
a crackling tadka .

Some perform harakiri
in the company of raw mango,cumin garlic
and the main crook,
coconut,
who is actually
spying against the
Mirchi Liberation Front.

Some simply
get left out and
turn a burning
petulant red.

And some,
get selected,
washed and cleaned
with great care,
then wrapped
in the traditional
turmeric yellow besan
Ashtaputri wedding sari,
studded with
flakes of salt, cumin
and a confetti of rice flour.

A slight anointing
with hot oil,
a welcome from the
groom's side,
and she is then led
by the hand,
into boiling oil
to participate
in the biggest
Swayamwar test of her life.

A shining golden wrap,
her tears shining through,
occasionally
a sudden burst of
seedy emotion,
and someone
helps her out
to tap her dry.
on a cool plate.

She has arrived
at her Sasural
only to find
so many like her
sitting there.......

She didn't realize Polymirchi was so rampant in society...