On return from a tiring two week trip to the Arctic Circle, I was at Helsinki. I had an evening free before catching the flight back to Delhi. Not being a fan of the western cuisine, what I had missed most during the trip was the Indian food. I just could not wait for another day to have my favourite chicken curry and tandoori roti.
Somewhat hesitantly, I asked the lady at the reception of the hotel if there was an Indian restaurant nearby. Just a minute, she said and after a quick turning of some pages and deft clicks on the computer, she took out a map of Helsinki and on the bottom of it wrote “Sandeep” and the address “22, Lonnrotinkatu”. She explained the location on the map to me and said that it should take me about ten minutes to reach the restaurant on foot.
When I found myself in front of the Indian restaurant. I walked in confidently as if I owned the place. “Hello”, said a short well built Indian. I returned the greeting and he took me to a seat. There was just one local couple in the small dinning hall. I was promptly handed a detailed menu. Without even looking at it, I burst out “chicken curry and tandoori roti”.
He nodded and left and returned after conveying the order to the chef. I invited him to take the seat in front and we started chatting. I began by asking in Hindi, “Where in India are you from”. Jallandhar, he smiled and the thaw was complete when I told him that I was from Chandigarh. And the rest of our conversation was in Punjabi. His name was Gurdev.
“Sirji your drink’s on me” Gurdev insisted till I offered him the well-rehearsed story about alcohol not suiting me. Soon the food arrived. It was in a thali complete with Cucumber Raita and ‘Chana dal’, salad and a generous helping of chicken curry. The piece-de-resistance turned out to be the tandoori roti. It was a huge and well baked with a topping of butter. I could resist no longer and started eating. The chicken curry was good but the roti was, I can say with confidence, the best I have had in 65 years of my existence. On my praise for the roti, Gurdev called out to the chef, who happened to be from Lahore, not far from my birthplace - Sialkot in Pakistan.
In the meantime Gurdev’s mobile emitted a short beep. On reading the SMS his face lit up. It is from one of my friends, he shared. ‘Is he also from Jallandhar, I joked.
‘No, no. He is a boy from Finland and works as a Bouncer in one of the local night clubs, he said before going to tell me about his friend. The Finnish youth would dine at Gurdev’s restaurant before they became friends. A year on, he was diagnosed with cancer. Since he was physically very strong, the doctors were hopeful he could be cured with positive attitude along with medication. He was given books about true stories of cancer survivors, on reading which he developed a deep resolve to fight the disease.
One day Gurdev told him of the Sikh Holy pilgrimage centre of Hemkund Sahib and how people endure the hardship of climbing 15,000 feet up into the Himalayas to get there. At this stage I told him that I had gone to the myself from telling him that I went to Hemkund Sahib for the first time in 1981 before visiting the shrine twice again. Gurdev nodded in appreciation and went with his friend’s story.
He jotted down the correct spellings of his Finnish friend’s name and told him that he would send the script to India to get a special ‘ardasa’ or prayer for him at Hemkund Sahib. Gurdev kept his word and his friend gradually started showing signs of improvement.
Gurdev read out the SMS he had come a few minutes back. It read: “I am very keen to visit Hemkund Sahib to say my thanks. Let us go there next year in June. Please book two air tickets for you and me when you find a good deal in tickets. Thanks.”
I was over with lunch by then and Gurdev refused to accept bill from me. Instead he touched my feet. With great difficulty I could persuade him to take half the amount.
I left the restaurant mulling over various layers surrounding the lovely afternoon – A wrap of India, Pakistan and Finnish bonhomie over food, friendship and, above all, faith.
(This was published in The Hindustan Times on Monday, January 11, 2010)