Back when we were about to get married, I had shared with my now husband how I was scared and nervous of leaving my childhood home. I had never lived far away from them for too long, not even stayed at a hostel. How was I going to leave home? I had wondered. “Why don’t you look at it from a different perspective?”, he had said. “Instead of thinking how you are leaving one home, think of how you are gaining a new one, now you will have two homes.” That always stayed with me, somehow. And that is exactly what I remembered as I held his hand and boarded the plane to Bangalore. I was nervous, I was excited, I was scared; this was the first time I would be leaving my country for long term; I had only gone for short holidays but never to settle down. What would leaving our home country and settling in a new country and new city be like? Why not think of it as gaining a new home again? Why not think of it as getting the best of both worlds? Now, I get to experience life in a different, vibran
Kashmir was not unheard of, for me; a beautiful naturally blessed region, sadly full of chaos and ridden with dispute, long since I knew of it. Of course, I had heard the name of Kashmir in several movies, their famous chili powder, in the map of the world, what I didn’t know and realize was the magic of their food and their culture. The curiosity awoke by watching “Raja, Rasoi aur Anya Kahaniyaan” on Netflix. The very first episode I watched was that of Kashmir, and it was quite captivating to say the least. It was when I saw this whole other side of Kashmir, and came to know about their popular delicacy Kashmiri Wazwan, their Kashmiri Kehwa, their noon chai, their leafy greens and peculiar taste, their influences, and so much more, Among these, Kashmiri Wazwan caught my interest the most. The Kashmiri Wazwan, comprising two words Waz and Wan where Waz means cook and Wan means chop. An intricate dinner consisting of several dishes and courses. Guests are seated in groups of four and s