The lingering aroma of a love-filled birthday surprise in Bangalore

David was crazy about Kebabs and this was a fact even strangers were aware of! 

David had his first kebab during a fair near Shivajinagar, his hometown, when he was six. Since then, nobody had been able to stop his addiction. Eating kebabs for him had become a regular thing. He was reckoned as a kebab connoisseur among his group of friends. It was his advice that his friends relied on when they had to decide on which joints to buy their Kebabs from.

No matter what the celebration was, David would take money from his father and hit the local kebab corner to dunk his hot, spicy kebabs and enjoy them, bite by bite. David was the youngest of his 5 siblings and the most loved by his mother, Christina. Despite this, she had never made kebabs simply because she was scared of ruining them for her loving son. 

It was his 10th birthday and David’s parents and siblings were planning a surprise for him. This was the first time they were inviting his friends from school and organizing a small party in their house on the outskirts of the city. The preparations were almost complete, but something within Christina told her that something was missing. There was something she had forgotten. And then suddenly, it struck her, the party was in three hours but she had forgotten to place the order for David’s favourite kebabs. It was a ritual they had been following for four years, but how could she forget?

She immediately made a few phone calls, but as fate would have it, the only kebab joint in the neighbourhood was shut. She was in shambles about what to do, when her eldest daughter, Charmaine found a way to make the surprise even more special. They would make the kebabs at home. That too with fresh mint chutney. Even in its best spirit, the idea seemed undoable to Cristina. Buying the ingredients was a task and the nearest shop was kilometers away. With the cake still in the oven and the decorations to finish, they had no time to go to the market and get all the supplies. 

She sat by the window, looking gloomy when Charmaine told her that the plan, she had thought of was full-proof after all. She told her mum about LoveLocal, an online platform that listed grocery stores in Bangalore alongside pharmaceuticals, bakeries and other provision outlets. She showed her the app where she could quickly pick all the ingredients she needed from the local retailers whom she knew and could trust. 

The delivery was as prompt as her order. As Christina looked at the perfect package and flawless delivery of everything she had called for, she couldn’t help but smile about the countless to-and-fro journeys she was going to save on buying everyday essentials. She hugged Charmaine as the two quickly got to the job. Cristina unpacked the ingredients, while Charmaine pulled out the best recipe for kebabs on the internet.

In no time, the duo rolled and fried wonderful kebabs, filling the house with an aroma of lingering spices. David’s siblings Helbin and Roslyn had finished decorating the house meanwhile. The birthday boy returned home and got the best surprise of his life! A mouth-watering tower full of juicy mutton Kebabs waiting to be devoured in minty curd! Cristina was overjoyed to see the happiness on David’s face, as she embraced the life-long role as David’s favourite kebab-maker.