Dehradun, Sept. 19 -- Culinary Chronicles

Those He Could Leave Behind -

I still remember that smell. Guwahati cantonment in September smelled like wet earth, fresh tea leaves. Our accommodation stood where the garden ended. The jungle began just beyond.

That was the rule there. You did not tell the elephants where to go. There was a proper corridor between the MT garage and the ration store. At night you heard movement near the store. A massive head pushed the store door, pulling out flour sacks. If rum cases were found it was over. The rum got finished in one go. Then the animal just stood there swaying completely drunk.

The cantonment had just got that fancy new cinema hall that year. Proper Dolby sound system. For the first time th...