The families of two good friends came to settle down after their retirements to the salubrious climate of Pune from the hot spells of central India. Their अभिन्न हृदय friendship continues since both were PhD students in Cambridge, Geetimoy Banerjee in English and Vishal Sahasrabudhe in Mathematical Statistics. They selected a nice society in Pashan Hills, purchased adjacent flats for living their retired life after a long stint in a Central University. Thanks to the sixth and seventh Pay Commission awards, the life was not of hardship at all and they lived like an epitome of an ideal Indian middle-class family.The great friendship did not stay only among the family heads but also their gracious spouses filled up the social milieu.
Anuradha Banerjee was a gifted musician and wonderfully adept in culinary art and Pradnya Saharsrabudhe was an artist of recognition and not faltering at all in bringing out succulent Maharashtrian cuisine. Now in their retired life with plenty of leisure time, the friends with their families would often enjoy spirituous relaxation and sometimes one or two glasses too many, if a particular bottle of Sula of Nashik would taste matured and well blended. Their talks would veer round even after they have left the academic life on their special interests. Vishal would often emphasis that if Laplace transforms were not available science and engineering would not have progressed beyond the technicians’ skill. Unfortunately, nothing has evolved analytically, which can make a non-linear transform. Geetimoy would then quite naturally escape from those abstract terms by narrating about the wonderful poetic meters in Savitri, the epic poetry by Sri Aurobindo.But Vishal continues…”You see, if you recast the non-linear equation to state –space and draw the trajectories, there would be kinks. Those are the non-linearities.Now if you draw a very similar trajectory without kinks .”“I don’t understand your kinks, interrupts Pragnya, “let us open the Beaujolais Nouveau brought by my nephew”And goes the tinkling of glasses.
Like their diverse academic disciplines, their gastronomic tastes too lacked commonality. Geetimoy being a Bong was an enthusiastically non- vegetarian, where his partner- in- taste was Vishal’s son Amitabh, even though the Vishal family was strict and devoted vegetarian. Amitabh grew up as a wonderful young man, an IITian and up for anything modern and daringly unconventional. As a result after any of his ‘unholy’ culinary adventures, his mother would force him to take a bath, sprinkling Gangajal on him. And Angelina Banerjee, with her angelic look and intellectual traits, must have turned the head of many youngsters but we are sure there was no Ishq-vishq between the Amitabh and Angelina. When all is going good better things do come. Amitabh got admission to an Ivy League Institute for his Masters, which his father did not want him to miss. But his mother Pradnya insisted that he offer a Puja at the feet of Lord Jagannatha in Odisha for His divine blessings and protection before he goes out of her care and control.“But mother why this ritualistic practice ?” argues Amitabh.“Take this as Divine ’s wish” , she stopped at that.Since she grew up in Puri, her faith in Lord was immense and unshakable.
Amitabh faithfully obeyed his mother, sent photos in WhatsApp regularly. He returned after short sightseeing of Konark and Chilka. However, he entered first to the Banerjee with a mysterious packet and whispered something conspiratorial to Angelina.Both the families had decided to celebrate Amitabh’s admission that evening. Geetimoy had the kept for this occasion a bottle of Bordeaux. The gracious ladies and Angelina put their best efforts in the preparation of choicest dishes. A table was laid ..then a surprise. Angelina brought a casserole full of Lobster Malai Curry- a delicatessen of Bengal, a special for Amitabh’s honour. It was revealed that Amitabh had carried in that mysterious container the famous Chingri (Lobster) of Chilka Nitrogen sealed.The Chingri Malai Curry was served to Amitabh, which Mrs Saharabudhe did not like but had to go on with the celebration. Angelina ensured that there would be no dearth of other variety of foodies to savour.
Then the anticlimax… “Angelina, please serve me a plate of your Lobster Malai Curry “, said Vishal suddenly. “Oh this Chingri tastes better than Boston’s Lobster butter thyme, I am sure. “ Dr.Vishal exclaimed having enjoyed the first bite of that stuff.Pradnya Sahasrabudhe was about to fall down from the chair, stood up, and said, “Darling! This is a perfect Non -Linear Transformation on you”.Geetimoy opened the Bordeaux and said Cheers.
Hail! Non-linear.
