GUR LEBUR SHORBOT

Oh! only an ignorant like me will know the pain of scrolling and scrolling your Google photo album and find out a photo you desire to blog about! Then you edit them and create three photos from two with a brain that always works in slow motion! I prefer to keep three main photos per post these days.... when we will not be there, people will know there had been a family of three who ate, drank, merry and took life as it came! As you know, I suffered, still suffer from a condition or disease that drags me towards negative situations & thoughts.... so besides all the beautiful posts by the parents on their kids' achievements.... my eyes get drawn towards something else.... three IIT students took off their lives before their semester.... the son of a small time worker consumes rat poison not satisfied with his +12 results, the daughter of a mason committed suicide after been raped.... I have learnt to handle stress all by myself.... I remember all those sedatives did not help me... All the anger inside is channelised to the mother "chele-meye dutokey ki tairi korecho acholer tolai rekhe.... ektu chartey hoy.... shokto korey tairi kortey hoy".... Yes, I blame our mother for not making us  strong enough to face life! I remember a college going daughter refusing to have muri / puffed rice or bread for a single day and the mother preparing ruti / porota / luchi almost every day.... I feel guilty very much.... a gift of a tusser sari or a gold ear stud is not enough to get rid of it.... but I got wiser.... I have to scold her when she feeds meat to her son 3-4 days a week or luchi as a breakfast each and everyday.... his cholesterol level is high, percentage of uric acid crossed the danger level.... Who listens to me? 

A majority of the Bengalis will do some exercise only after leaving West Bengal! You may call me anything, but Bengali stomachs are not made to digest meat every other day.... we do not have meat stews..... a lot of oil and spices goes in ..... I do not think I can go for a ketogenic diet ever.... an egg once a week makes my "pet joydhak" for that day! The very calm S speaks this rough at times these days..... courtesy..... the husband.... Yet, I thanked him yesterday for gifting a stress free life to our son.... he never sets targets for the son ..... says let him be.... Yesterday, when I saw the picture of that boy in the hospital bed... who may not survive.... I broke down once the husband was back from office.... He said, "S, such incidents happened back then too.... there were no social media to highlight such news".... He says teens should learn to handle stress, parents should not push them to the edge either! Yesterday, my neighbour and friend in Kolkata.... an Eye Surgeon too.... Dr. Monalisa Pramanik shared a picture of her son's achievement in the ICSE examinations.... she has every right to.... Rochishnu scored 97.2% and I know he got it absolutely stress free.... in his own will and ability..... I know when I and Kana were talking.... we were lying to each other.... Mimo did score good but both I and Kana wished for a 92 % to 94%.... from him.... Neither we are a Rupa Roy.... we are just learning to be wise and we will not put our kids in stress.... About our son, he will not allow any stress... and his father will show me the door if I put him in stress ..... I have the feel that our son will score something between 80-85% in most of the subjects .... in fact IG board confers grades.... well our son may not get an A+ in the nine subjects out of ten.... I may cry behind the closed doors but I will not compare him with others.... I do not want a divorce, I do not earn!.... 

I feel happy for my friend Debopam's daughter who scored a 94% in ICSE, I feel happier when his wife Sarnali says S..... I will always support her wish... whatever stream she pursues I will be happy! I am learning to be like them..... at some point neither I or Kana have to lie to each other.... we will become two wise owls.... At the moment, the face of that boy who consumed rat poison is haunting me.... the parents are not telling the truth .... they might have told him something derogatory.... not all kids are like mine..... "P.... do not play those shark games ok?".... He laughs out loud.... "if I have to die I will jump off the window ..... I will not waste time playing a game and then do it"... I thank the husband again... No, this GUR LEBUR SHORBOT is not for the husband.... packets of cigars have robbed him of his old likes, appetite I believe.... it is for those less fortunate struggling in the hospital bed with a damaged liver... I am a fighter's wife, wish I could preach his philosophy of life to such weak hearts!

Our mother never made this GUR LEBUR SHORBOT.... I remotely remember that I had seen my grandmother doing it when I was this little.... Did the "chatur shorbot" sellers sell this desi cooler in the Kolkata streets? I do not remember really.... I did not call the 90 year old lady either for the recipe of this summer cooler! I make it on my own, not often though because I am a diabetic.... Olong and Ayataka tea work best for me and wow! for the son too.... so much so that I stopped getting Iced Lemon Tea cans for him! He has become one of this island.... though prefers beef than a clam, squid or crab! He was 7-8 years old when his father took him to a Mac joint in Houston and bought him a big Mac.... he was 5-6 years old when the husband noticed that the boy goes and sits beside mumma in the prayer room.... he dogmatised him saying God is a myth! The son goes to the school, says it and gets badly beaten by a senior boy.... I got wild at the husband... why this early you had to? The answer was .... "you too had been calling him at times of prayer"..... Thereafter, I did not fill socks with gifts and chocolates.... once I did and the son said, "I know you did it"... all my pleasure was gone! I am just trying to say.... kids should behave like kids when they are kids.... my son was never a kid. That is when one Dibyendu Banerjee says your boring husband never was a kid, hence.... and that bald headed... yesteryear Sunny Deol for us... calls him a "jethu".... only a romantic like me was left to marry him! 

That bald headed person had been always there for me.... err... for my husband's wife... at midnight in the airport, when our car met with an accident, for my father at the funeral ground... my husband only had to say... "S ke dekhish".... I am leaving for months... look after S! No, you will not see them on my social media friend list... social media photographs do not really prove anything! The husband is protective of his "core group"..... says we had been there for each other without any personal interest! Anyway, whenever I am down... I am frequently so given my mental condition or disease, something is there to divert my attention! See, a beauty with wings graced our window pane.... may be early morning! 

                                 

No, I am not calling names, what if some PETA members read my post? I am keeping my cool thinking he or she might had loose motion.... the heat is such ..... it could not control! I clicked to complain at the office but then realised it is not a human job as does my neighbour above my floor back in Kolkata... That beautiful lady is so insensible that she considers my flat as her dustbin.... even when I stayed there.... Repeated complains to the management office had no solutions.... though the old paa-in-law goes and pays our maintenance bill regularly.... People use our parking lot for free.... and that her highness made a good dustbin of my balcony and AC machines.... Decency could never fight insensibility. Here, the management takes every complain seriously and takes immediate action.... work culture matters! Do not tell me that all women are victims.... that insensible lady's husband and parents are gentle!.... 

I am another worse case.... with a flat but choosy nose I ignore people who I cannot get along with.... I accept that I am not accommodating! Till date I could not complete a can of 100 plus.... after a race, they do give one... I get it for the son... they will not give me a doi er ghol or GUR LEBUR SHORBOT! 100 plus is good, there is no harm in trying heirloom, desi Indian drinks either.... they can be better for Indian stomachs. I am that desi who prepares "Maan Kochu bata" in her kitchen.... a heirloom, no cook Bengali recipe with maan kochu / malanga coco, chilli-mustard paste, grated coconut and mustard oil.... May be I will blog about it after the big event of some of my readers is over.... at the moment they need coolers... lot of hydrating summer drinks.... that need not be expensive "badam shorbot" at all times.... this GUR LEBUR SHORBOT helps too.... not all of them live in big homes.... our Rizia Mashi does not take a single day leave, neither did my Chotu during these months! 

Anyway, I have to go for a simple share today because I have to clean my window panes.... Sir told Cristine will not do because those are open windows... I am not a Divya Bharati that media will go gaga on me.... if you do not see me around tomorrow .... do pray for my own.... Oh yes, you need not wait till tomorrow .... you can see me doing "ghonta pooja" in different groups... all for the blog.... For you who work out in the Sun.... say for a walk or run or play field games, or working indoor... this homemade desi drink works wonder to hydrate your system! Do try!

No, these sky scrappers do not say anything, only that we are a part of those cages of different sizes, in one you get "kochu bata to loti shutki" everything simple .... If you are sensible enough not to cause damage to my property in my absence.... you are most welcome!

INGREDIENTS :

Jaggery : 100gm [We get chemical free jaggery powder here, do you? then use]
Lemon Juice : 1/2small cup
Black Salt : 1/4tsp
Black Pepper Powder : 2-3 pinch
Water : As Required

PROCEDURE :

Take the jaggery in a mortar and pestle and break into smaller pieces, you can do it with a rolling pin too! If you are using  jaggery powder... this step is not required.

Take the smaller jaggery pieces in a container and add enough water. Add the lemon juice too! Stir and keep covered. The jaggery has to dissolve completely.

Strain the jaggery water and pour in to another container. Add the black salt and black pepper powder. Stir well and pour into tall glasses.

Top with some ice cubes and enjoy sipping! If you are not a diabetic, have it everyday... no harm!