It Was That Ride

When we first move to Qatar, we were given accommodations by my dads office. And the villa we lived in had another couple living at the back of it. They did not have a car, so sometimes they went grocery shopping with us.

These were the times when we were actually interested in going grocery shopping.

One day, we bought Haldiram's Spicy Chick Pea mix. Haldiram is a company which makes all kinds of snacks and stuff. Being the people who cannot wait to get home and open something up, we opened it in the car.

That packet was passed from one person to another. After taking a single bite, we were huffing and puffing and our mouths were on fire.

It was spicy even on our standards.

But despite it being the spiciest Haldiram I have ever eaten, all of us in the car kept eating it.

The whole ride home, we all were figuring out what the snack was. And everyone kept snubbing each other trying to prove who is right.

We were making silly jokes and daring each other to eat more.

Muaaz took a handful and put it in his mouth. He has not been the same ever since.

That was the moment we realized the importance of water. That moment was so hilarious because the water was in the back of the car and we could not stop to take it out.

Ever since that ride, every once in a while one of us buys that same Haldiram. And we are disappointed over and over again.

The taste has never been the same. Its not that spicy. Not even near that spice meter.

I don't know what it was. Whether it was that couple, that ride or that moment but Haldiram does not taste the same.

......