A vegetarian’s dilemma on the shore

 It's hard to find "grass and straw" sometimes

  

From the shore of Santana Beach, Mahabalipuram.

What could compliment the echoes of a grand sea, cold sand and sweet, cold breeze better than a plate of sizzling, crusty crabs? The aroma that dances its way to your nostrils and makes you crave it a little more every time can have a very different effect on someone else. As somebody whose  toes curl up every time one offers a graphic description of a dish made of flesh, I can never identify with the sheer happiness of having a plate of crustaceans or tender squid or fish in front of me. 

The thing about vegetarianism I have discerned is that no matter how much you're after saving the environment or adhering to your religious and spiritual beliefs, you'll always end up eating alone and being persuaded by innumerable people to quit your adamant belief. “Once, just once, try it.” My inbox after dining out is usually flooded with the messages from friends adamant about taking the vegetarian out of me with arguments that don't sound half-convincing.

"Vegetarianism isn't enough for humans","you're missing out on so much in life," being the most used arugements.My strict commitment to vegetarianism stems mostly from my caste and the privileges that came along with it, but even when I grew up and realised the same, my detestation for the idea of flesh on my plate hadn't mitigated. "I'm just fine with my grass,", I would often joke. 

Having a lot of vegetarian food choices had always saved me from the trouble of even bothering about anything but the quantum of solace and happiness the sea had brought to me一the restaurants on the shore could never do the same. On a weekend trip to Mahabalipuram, the scenic beauty of the place and the quiet won my heart. As someone who loves food more than almost anything else in the world, the two hours of travel and the minor inconveniences hadn't dented my  excitement to try the food the place had to offer. 

Upon reaching, my feet dragged me towards a well-known restaurant, crowded and looked decent too. But as I stepped in, a strong, pungent odour greeted me. A sort of smell that I had never encountered before. Excited as they were, my friends, sensing my discomfort, suggested we go elsewhere, and we did. The same thing happened. Four times. The smell followed us everywhere. 

By this time I had almost lost my hope. All I wanted was my quiet corner where the smell of fish wouldn't follow and I could have my "grass" in peace. Even the idea of blant chapati and curry started to sound appealing to me at this point. 

Finally, after walking almost five kilometres, came a discovery that saved my heart from breaking. 

"Bambino Beach Restaurant," a compact restaurant on the shoreline of Santana Beach and, miraculously, no fishy smell.

The waiter brought the menu and, to my disappointment, the already limited vegetarian menu had shrunk even further more due to the timings. The omnipresent substitute for meat, cottage cheese, had been a wonderful companion to me all along, but here, leave alone cottage cheese, even a cauliflower didn’t appear. Tears had welled up inside my eyes and maybe even the person assigned to our table noticed that. The realisation that I was mildly ruining the mood of my friends was dawning upon me, and even when they hadn't said a thing and were almost supportive, I didn't  want to worry them,  and so I sat quietly. They were extremely sympathetic towards my situation, knowing how passionate I've always been about food, but I could also sense a hint of victory in them. "Try it this time at least. The universe is giving you hints,” said one. Pleading with the staff seemed a better option than chewing squid. Somehow I managed to order something for myself - plain vegetable noodles. The wait for the food on my plate this time was the longest. 

While my friends were munching on "the best seafood they had ever had", I had no choice but to sip water and wait patiently and be angry about the whole scenario. There can be people like us too! The vegetarians who are helplessly in love with the sea and food but still be vegetarians.The ones who are reluctant to quit vegetarianism and on the verge of a breakdown each time a friend devours a crab. Why does it have to be so hard for us?