B ...Baking

I won't say " I looooove baking !" in super animated tone and with enthusiasm . But I do like to bake.But I don't do it so often. My busy schedule is one of the reasons but laziness is the chief culprit !

But when I decide to bake , I find it a huge stress buster . I like the process of hunting recipes , using the internet . Nowadays ,I look for recipes which use whole wheat flours instead of refined one. ( I also have a super recipe , which use ragi ( a millet ) flour ..healthy and tasty,too )

After spending a delicious hour on the net and having shortlisted the ingredients ,the next step is shopping . Don't get me wrong here...I don't spend another hour in that...it's just a matter of a quick visit to neighbouring grocery store. The real fun starts after this.

The process of measuring ( Let me confess...I don't ...not very accurately , for sure !) ,mixing and folding the ingredients is like a meditation . Sometimes , it even feels musical ..the rhythm of.... cut and fold...cut and fold...pour in the tin...tap the tin...tap the tin....

 I pop the tin in the preheated oven and sit down to watch the magic....slowly the cake rises...colour changes...and the divine aroma !!!...absolutely soul satisfying and soothing....

If only, the cake did not have so many calories .....

( Sorry to disappoint you folks, no recipes here ! )

A ...Ardent admirer

 I have never had an ardent admirer in my life...well almost never...the only time I had one was....okay..let me begin at the beginning...

This story happened during second year of my pathology residency. I was cutting open a specimen of intestine when I received a call.

" Hello ? Is it Maya ? "

" Yes,it is . Who is this ? "

" You don't know me , But I am your ardent admirer ! "

"Why ? What have I done ? "

He went on saying some  nonspecific things  about me , vaguely praising me , I suppose . But didn't reveal  who he was .

I scratched my head , tried to find a voice match in my head  and asked all my friends ( all pranksters !) ...but no avail !

This A.A. called up once more , He said his name was XXXX . I was sure I didn't know any XXXX and told him so.  I was about to ask him to come and meet me right now , when he suddenly disconnected .

Till date I don't know who he was ( and not sure that it was a 'He '..the voice was sort of androgynous .) I strongly suspect it was one of my prankster friends , but the most suspicious characters had strong alibis !

So...there it is ...an unsolved mystery...