Parle-G lock kar diya jaye !

Parle-G and biscuits are just as synonymous as Xerox is to photocopying. The need to satiate hunger with a packet of these popular and common biscuits is not uncommon. A get together at home followed by 'chai' and parle-g is very entertaining. And more so when we five friends were pursuing a degree in Physics during the early nineties when pocket money was minimal and the finest form of enjoyment meant the company of friends who would add on to the fun, discussion, comments etc with equal gusto. 

It was one such afternoon when we were done with our lectures and were waiting for the chemistry practical to begin; with two hours to spare. Some time was utilized in discussing our plans for the evening but then all vehemently agreed with Purvi for some biscuits. The canteen wala had run out of all biscuits and so we '5 star group' - that's what we called ourselves; decided to buy it from the shop across the street.

"Arey chalo, dhoop ho rahi hai" said Jalpa whose fair skin would have indeed lost the charm due to the tan. 

It is quite funny to see five head turning girls, cross the road; each having her pace and style of road crossing. Finally we all reached on the other side of the road and Sunayana quipped, "Hamein chemistry lab ke liye lock and key le jane hai, yaad hai?". "Mujhe toh nahi malum, meine suna nahi lagta hai",  I was always the absent minded types. "Chal oye, koi baat nahi", Appu was quick to get the group going. 

We asked a shopkeeper for the biscuits and he nodded his head negatively, we asked him for five locks and he gave only the two remaining ones. It suddenly dawned upon us that the whole class would have ransacked the market for so many locks. This was a panicky situation and called for desperate measures. We split in two groups and went in different directions to search for biscuits and three more locks. We found the required things and pooled in some money to buy them. There was a packet of biscuits for Rs 3 and locks for Rs 5 each. Now another problem arose, what if the other group also bought the same things in same quantity. (Mind you, there were no mobile phones to communicate !)

Purvi offered a solution, "toh kya hua, dukaanwale ko bole ke lock wapas kar denge !" Hurray, our job was done and off we went to look for the other group. I wondered if we had mentioned our common point of meeting each other, but I dared not speak. God laid my doubts to rest as I heard Jalpa say "woh rahe, wahan khade hai, chalo".

Within ten minutes we all were seated under the big ashoka tree of the garden at Faculty of Science, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. The extra packet of biscuits was no challenge for us and even to this day, I fondly remember the day when the parle-g biscuit was locked in our hearts, for life.