Ambika

Kitty Party

They’d had a tough day at work. A long one too. It was almost 10 when they walked in. Most restaurants here shut at 11 which meant that they had only an hour left to order. The waiter got them the menu. That’s when it started, a never ending discussion on what they should order. Butter chicken ki tangdi kabab, kima paratha ki rumali roti, dal fry ya baingan ka bharta, chicken 65 ya wine of 1969. It was a group of women, they had to take time. But I was hungry by then and all this talk about food just made my tummy roar. My teeth almost involuntarily rose up and fell right back on the plate. The loud cling made everyone turn. I was embarrassed. My friends sitting on the same table couldn’t believe it. I could hear them say, “what a cheeky fork”.

(At Caesar’s, next to the cutlery)