Chapter 1
Sprinkling the coriander leaves on top, he hoped his business is going to be plentiful that day. Hot steaming plates of aromatic food lined up on the countertop ready to be delivered, and when he called out the token numbers men and women walked up to the small counter to collect them. Since morning, he had been working - fetching the ingredients, chopping, blending, kneading, and every other thing to produce sumptuous food for his customers.
'Surya,' he bent to see when his customer-turned-friend walked close by to the food truck. A wide smile lit up his face seeing a group of ten or so guys walking behind him. The all-men gang meant they are in for a treat filling Surya's heart with joy.
'what's special for today?' the customer went through the menu restlessly. Having been a regular he always demands something fresh, something different, and off the menu specially prepared by him.
The men also joined him as he went through the menu.
Surya fetched a notepad and a pen ready to take their orders. Soon, he sticked it on the metal surface and got busy with the pots and dishes to ready up their order.
The men occupied the chairs Surya had placed already underneath the wide, tall peepal tree that provided plenty of thick shade even in the hot sun. Within no time, Surya called out the orders as a few of them picked up plates from a small rectangular opening at the side of the truck. He offered a variety of dishes and tried to fulfill the tastebuds of almost every customer. Stationed outside the busy IT park on M.G. road, his food truck business is ever booming since he opened it two years ago. Unlike other trucks that found their place adjacent to his on the same road, he managed to provide to the tastes of his customers as closely as possible.
The man returned from the table and said, 'I need some more of that sauce,' while chewing, 'it's awesome. I can eat all three meals over here,' wiping off the corner of his lips.
When the men left finishing off their meals, Surya hopped off his truck, collected all the leftover disposable plates and glasses, and wiped the table off for fresh customers to dine. Once the crowd cleared, after around eleven every morning, he gets busy giving the final touch to his lunch preparations. Although small, he managed to stuff his truck with every utensil he needs and every device to prepare the most complicated dishes. He worked hard from early in the morning to late at night leaving him only a little time to rest. Unlike other jobs, Sundays meant extra work granting him enough cash, of course. Wiping off his kitchen counters regularly and getting everything ready at his fingertips reduced his burden by a great deal.
Before the crowd would swarm around his truck for their lunch Surya grabbed his chill chocolate milkshake and went under the tree to cool off a bit. He looked at his truck and left out a heavy sigh. It had been his dream to grow big in his business one day. But it seemed difficult and he feared if it would ever come true at all. He had walked the avenue many times looking at the majestic star hotels that lined up the road. The world is changing so quickly with not much advantage to him, he thought. Getting lost in wondering how exactly these hotels' kitchens worked, all he would get is a suspicious eye from the security guard for staring at those structures for so long. He often doubted, why he couldn't work in such hotels to show off his culinary skills. Despite working in a food truck, his preparations are still admired by people. Yet, it seemed a lot of work to do and a lot of money to earn before getting his hands on something very big that he dreamed about. Maybe, one day, after earning a lot of money enough to set up a restaurant, his dreams would be fulfilled to some extent, if not a star hotel. Despite making good profits, it's not enough to satisfy himself. A huge chunk of money he made always went off to pay his debts leaving him only a little to go with the entire month. Still, he was so sure to procure quality items for the food he is making. He would never compromise on that although his friends advised him to go with some cheaper products to save a bit. Yet they couldn't win him over with his stubbornness on quality.
Sipping off to the base of the glass, he checked his watch. With only fifteen past twelve he rushed himself into the truck. Aromatic sambar is boiling on the stove. Rice is just about to get done for the third time. He reheated the veggies to keep them ready for the orders. His hands moved quickly in sync with his eyes to multiple spots inside his compact kitchen. At times he would forget being inside the limited space his truck provided.
Dicing some fruits, he gave a quick stir to the veggies in the wok. Taking off a segmented disposable plate, he neatly filled it with the right amount of rice, veggies, sambar, and pappad in its places covering it with foil. He arranged those parcels neatly on one side of the counter. Freshly cut watermelon pieces went inside a mixie jar as he squashed them with some ice cubes, mint leaves, and sugar. Filling the huge vessel with watermelon juice he placed them inside the mini-fridge he managed to have in his tiny space. What started as a few men went on to come in a steady stream. Those who couldn't find chairs still enjoyed their meal standing. Surya's food is soul-filling that they could still be enjoying holding the plate in one hand and eating even without a comfortable seating space. Rice, veggies, and dhal were so fulfilling that most of them returned to his truck, sometimes more than twice a week. He also managed to give them a piece of sweet wrapped in foil, for free, as they finished their meal and paid him. While he couldn't earn as he wished for, yet, he filled their hearts with warmth and fulfillment.
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