"Maggi is the second best thing to have ever happened to a bachelor " -- I announced among a room full of Master Degree students. The effect was dramatic. People looked up from their computer monitors and some turned around in their swivel chairs. I don't recollect the topic of the discussion any more. Was it maggi or was it bachelorhood? But I sure as hell was proud of my observation linking these two sweet realities in my life then. Anyway, the natural question followed :
So what is the first? Is it a four letter word? Does it start with "F" ?
Unfortunately, I could not quite answer that day as it came from a girl ...
"No, it's more subtle than that " -- was all I could manage. But then that is another story so let's return to maggi now.
My earliest memory of Maggi is quite dark indeed. I was 9 or 10 years old. There was this promotional offer going on those days. You have to post a certain number of empty maggi packets and answer a few quiz questions to win gifts and prizes. I tried once and actually received some board game and a badge that read "Maggi Club member". Naturally, I showed that off to friends and earned my position of pride among them. Now all of them could not afford a maggi or write a few lines in English. One among them made me an offer : he would collect empty maggi packets (from garbage bins, I later found out) and I'll do the rest. The prize would be shared by us. When the gift finally arrived this time, I was already pissed off by this guy's constant nagging nature. Or... I realize now, greed got the better of me. I actually denied him his share by repeatedly lying to him that the gift never arrived. Thus began my journey with maggi.
However, maggi is also associated with a lot of beautiful ever lasting memories in my life. Most happened during my stay in hostel. We took snacks break every hour during our night long study sessions. Most of the time it was Maggi that saw us through. Once, someone tried some desi ghee with maggi hoping to add some spice to the recipe. But the result was disastrous.
Caution: NEVER EVER try maggi with ghee !!!
I would like to end with another word of caution. It's for girls living alone...
In the movie "Ek haseena thi", Saif Ali Khan actually guessed Urmila Matondkar's single status watching her buy 17 packets of Maggi. (Ya to aap akeli rehti hai nahi to aap ke bahot sare bacche hai... ) . Urmila actually ends up killing Saif at the end of the movie...
