ஒரு பிடி மாங்காய் ஊறுகாயும்.. மனதுக்குள் ஊறிக் கிடக்கும் உணர்வும்!

 - வ துர்காதேவி

இது ஒரு சாதாரண உணவைப் பற்றிய கதை அல்ல; ஒரு பிடி மாங்காய் ஊறுகாயுடன் பிணைக்கப்பட்ட ஒரு பெண்ணின் வாழ்நாள் பயணம்.

பள்ளிப் பருவத்தில் ஆசிரியரிடம் பிடிபட்டபோது கிடைத்த நெகிழ்ச்சியான அனுமதி, திருமணத்திற்குப் பிறகு குடும்பத்தினர் தடுத்தும் கணவர் மூலமாக ரகசியமாகப் பெற்று உண்டது, மற்றும் கர்ப்ப காலத்தில் குமட்டலைத் தவிர்க்க அதைத் துணையாகக் கொண்டது என மாங்காய் ஊறுகாய் இந்தக் கதை நாயகியின் வாழ்வின் ஒவ்வொரு கட்டத்திலும் நீங்காத இடம்பிடித்துள்ளது.

அந்த ஒரு துண்டு மாங்காய் ஊறுகாய் வெறும் சுவை மட்டுமல்ல; அது உலகின் பலருடைய குழந்தைப்பருவ நினைவுகளின் திறவுகோல். மாங்காய் ஊறுகாய் - இது ஒரு உணவல்ல, ஒரு உணர்வு!

இதை வைத்து அழகாக தீட்டப்பட்ட கதை இது.. படியுங்கள்.. ருசியுங்கள்.. ரசியுங்கள்.. நினைவலைகளில் மகிழ்ந்திருங்கள்.

What can a single piece do to the mind, the heart, the brain… even to every tiny cell in the body?

I never believed something so small could hold such power—until it entered my life.

It began in childhood… long before I even knew what it was.

There was this mysterious thing—always resting under the blazing sun. And the moment sunlight touched it, something magical happened. A bold, irresistible aroma would rise into the air, gently brushing past our noses, slipping into our breath, and settling deep inside… awakening a craving we couldn’t explain.

We were a tribe of ten to twelve children, living among about ten families in a large apartment-like building—different cultures, different backgrounds… but united by one secret mission.

The Mission: Get That Piece.

Whenever the elders spread it out to dry, we would pretend to play, laugh, run around… but our eyes were always watching.

Waiting.

Calculating.

One perfect moment.

No one watching.

A quick grab… and a quicker escape.

Then, hiding behind walls or near staircases, we would take a bite.

And boom—

A burst of tangy fire, a thrilling shock, a joy that ran through every nerve. It wasn’t just taste—it was an adventure.

As we grew, the craving grew with us.

One day in tuition, we carried our “mini taste bombs” hidden carefully. But our teacher noticed.

“What’s that in your hand?” he asked.

Silence.

“It looks like… dried fish?” he guessed.

Our hearts skipped.

Slowly, we revealed it.

He looked at it… paused… and then smiled.

No scolding. No punishment. Just a quiet understanding—and he sent us back with it.

That day, I learnt something deeper than taste.

Control.

Years rolled on.

Marriage came.

Whenever I wished for it, my husband would get it without a second thought. But my family would immediately protest—

“Don’t eat that!” “It’s not good for health!”

But my heart would argue, Why should I give up something that brings me such joy?

So I became secretive.

“Don’t tell anyone… just get it for me,” I would say.

Then came pregnancy.

For ten months, that one small piece stayed with me almost every day. I would simply say, “It helps me with nausea,” and continue my quiet indulgence.

Time passed.

I became a teacher.

A role model.

So I buried my excitement deep within. When students brought it in their lunch boxes, my eyes would light up, my mouth would water… but I would act firm.

“No… I don’t like all that,” I would say, hiding the truth behind discipline.

Years passed like that.

But some cravings never fade.

And then… yesterday happened.

For the past month, I had been watching my students enjoy it—packets in their hands, laughter in their voices.

Something inside me finally gave in.

I called a student and quietly asked, “Can you get that for me?”

They returned… not with one…

But with ten pieces.

“A token of love for you, Ma’am.”

For a moment, everything stood still.

After a decade…

It was back in my hand.

My treasure.

I took a bite.

And instantly—

Childhood rushed back. The old building appeared. The stolen moments returned.

Later, when I posted it on WhatsApp, I realized something shocking.

The whole world loved it.

Messages flooded in.

Everyone had a story.

Everyone had a memory.

Everyone… had fallen for the same secret.

And now, I can finally reveal—

The mysterious piece… The childhood crime partner… The lifelong craving…

Was nothing but—

Mango pickle.

(About the Author: Durgadevi V, Graduate Teacher, GHS Nesal, Tiruvannamalai Dt)