Two Chapati's

I was studying in university for my bachelor's when I first started reading a Manga called “One piece”. Every now and then, I used to have these binge reading weekends where I just couldn’t stop. During one such session, I stumbled across this beautiful chapter about a starving pirate who happens to land at a sea restaurant. He’s thrown out immediately on account of being broke. However, one of chefs comes out and offers him food for free. It was one of the moments which told me the story was going to be good. The chef character turns out to be one of the main characters in the story.

Rewinding back a few years, I was 12, on a train ride, going to my cousin’s place with him. I enjoy train rides to this day. Looking out of the open carriage door, staring at the world we’re leaving behind, especially at night, is surreal to say the least. It was midday and supper time. My mom had packed more than enough chapati’s and potato sabji for the both of us. We were full in less than 5 mins with 2 chapati’s still remaining. I had noticed the man sitting in front of us staring intently at us while we ate. I didn’t think much of it since my cousin didn’t seem to care. Since there was no sabji to eat the chapati’s with, we decided to pack them away. While packing them back, the man asked us if he could eat them since we were done. My cousin immediately offered them up and began telling me we should always share food. Me, being an angsty teenager just nodded and probably said something on the lines of, “Of course I know that...” and kept quiet. The moment he took the chapati’s from our hands, he said thanks in a very low but probably the sincerest tone I have heard till date and did not look up until he finished eating both of them. I couldn’t help but stare. I still remember him eating those chapatis like it was the tastiest food he had ever eaten. I had realized he must have been starving. I remember feeling how stupid we had been to not notice it earlier, at least we could have shared the sabji to go with the chapati’s. I had probably cried that night thinking back on the incident. The man, the way he ate and his thanks are still clear in my mind to this day.

The chef giving the starving pirate food for free in the manga, triggered that memory for me. It has been very hard for me to waste food after that incident. And I say hard on account of very rare occasions. I remember how I thought the reason for starvation didn’t really matter. What mattered was him and the food we shared. Life has its ways of teaching you its most needed lessons if you care enough. Here’s one of the most beautiful lines delivered by the chef as he hands over the food to the pirate, “I understand starving people more than anyone. I do not care if you want to die with dignity, but if you eat up, you could look forward to a new tomorrow.” He cries as he eats.