Strike and after

Unlike Kerala, Tamil Nadu especially Chennai is seldom affected by a bandh. Hartal and bandh days, exhorted at the national or regional level, almost function like any other day. But yesterday's general strike called by the ruling party of the State, was different. Buses kept off the roads though private vehicles and the trains, which come under the Central government, ran.

I fortunately stayed put at home, unwilling to risk a difficult time on the roads in the searing heat. And caught up with some cooking and cleaning chores, which I have been doing as time and health permits. I have been trying to straighten the post-maid chaos in the kitchen and elsewhere in the house. I cant blame them - they wouldnt have the time or inclination for the finer cleaning that a house requires when they are trying to do too many things.

The husband was away a good part of the day, to do his reading in the air-conditioned comfort of his office, and so I had the house to myself. Late in the evening, while I was sweating it out with rotis and tomato chutney, he returned home and suggested that we eat out at the Rajasthani dhaba, one of the few eateries that doesnt give me an indigestion the Day After. By then, the rotis were almost ready and so we decided to have them before going shopping for veggies and provisions, school shoes for Mira etc. I topped the day with a shawarma, an Arabian delight from a fastfood centre.