“I wonder how could a friendly person like you choose that statue to be placed atop your house? It is a sign of enmity”.
“The eagle’s enemies are snakes, not humans.”
“I get it. This is your Hindu mother’s influence. What else does it signify?”
“Garuda is a legendary bird, who was powerful enough to cover the Sun. This bird looks up, and prays to his ancestor Garuda, to bless him with the same strength. It protects us”.
Aryan then invited me in for a quick snack. The culinary delights that Aryan’s mother cooked, had taught me that vegetarian food could be tasty. Like this batter-fried cheese, which they called a ‘paneer pakoda’, and the rice and milk pudding they called ‘kheer’. They owned a cow in the backyard, who was worshipped on certain days of the year. The cow was also the source of fresh dairy products.
“Aryan, you must come to my place for a meal.”
“You know that I am a vegetarian.”
“You must try other stuff sometime. I love sharing meals with you.”
“You know, we Hindus worship animals for the value they add to our life. My German Dad has now turned vegetarian.”
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lovely story!!
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Thank you!
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I like that. Knowing they are kids puts a new light on the story.
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So interesting, how the same symbol can mean such different things to different people. Although it seems the narrator could work on seeing the other person’s perspective a bit more — inviting a vegetarian to try meat? How rude. I like how you played out the interaction; it seemed very real.
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Thanks! The narrator and his friend are kids, which has perhaps not come out clearly with the word limit. They can be over-enthusiastic about their own preferences.
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I didn’t get that they were kids, that makes more sense. And yes, “over enthusiastic” is a good way to put it!
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Love this story, Reena.
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Thanks, Franci!
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This is delightfully and deliciously different! My daughter went from vegetarian to vegan, and she’s working on me now!
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Good luck :). I don’t believe in being vegan.
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A delightful story.
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