incubators.
He stood watching them through the observation window of the maternity ward, their tiny, frail bodies still purple and wrinkled.
“It was really touch-and-go, Chubby,” said Rumpi as she and Mummy gathered next to him, mesmerized by the latest additions to the Puri clan. “The doctor said they nearly didn’t make it. But something – who knows what? – pulled them through.”
“It’s a miracle, na,” declared Mummy.
Puri smiled, his eyes brimming with tears.
“Yes, Mummy-ji, it is a miracle,” he said. “This time a real one.”
Glossary
AACHAR a pickle. Most commonly made of carrot, lime, garlic, cauliflower, chili or unripe mango cooked in mustard oil and spices.
AARTI Hindu fire ritual, often performed daily, in which a plate holding a flame and offerings is circled in front of a deity or guru while devotional songs are sung.
ACHKAN a close-fitting high-necked coat, slightly flared below the waist and reaching almost to the knee, worn by men in India.
ALOO potato.
ALOO TIKKI MASALA spicy fried potato patties.
AMBASSADOR until recently India’s national car. The design, which has changed little since production started in 1957, is similar to the British Morris Oxford.
ANGREZI adjective; Hindi for English or British. ‘Angrez’ is the noun form.
ART FRAT a member of the artistic community or fraternity.
ATTA a kind of wheat flour dough commonly used in South Asian cooking.
AYAH a domestic servant role combining the functions of maid and nanny.
BABU a bureaucrat or other government official.
BACHA a child.
BAKSHEESH a term used to describe tipping, charitable giving and bribery.
BALTI a bucket.
BANSURI a flute.
BARFI sweetmeat made from condensed milk and sugar.
BETA a son or child; used in endearment.
BIDI Indian cigarette made of strong tobacco hand-rolled in a leaf from the ebony tree.
BILKUL or course, certainly, tor sure.
BIRYANI rice-based foods made with spices, rice, meat, fish, eggs or vegetables. With Hyderabadi biryani, the marinated meat and rice are cooked together.
CHALLAN literally a receipt for a payment or delivery, but generally slang for a traffic fine.
CHALLO Hindi for ‘let’s go.’
CHARGE SHEETER a person with a criminal record.
CHARPAI literally, ‘four feet.’ A charpai is a woven string bed used throughout northern India and Pakistan.
CHAVAL rice.
CHAWL a tenement building.
CHILLA a flatbread made from black chickpea flour, onions and spices.
CHIWDA a variable mixture of spicy dried ingredients, which may include fried lentils, peanuts, chickpea flour noodles, corn, chickpeas, flaked rice and fried onion. This is all flavored with salt and a blend of spices.
CHOWKIDAR a watchman.
CHURIDAAR a style of leg-hugging drawstring pajamas.
CHUSKI crushed ice and flavored syrup on a stick.
CHUTTRI an elevated, dome-shaped pavilion used as an element in Indian architecture. ‘Chhatri’ means umbrella or canopy.
COWWAH crow.
’CRIB’ Indian English; to complain or grumble.
DAAL spiced lentils.
DACOITY criminal activity involving robbery by a groups of armed bandits. A dacoit is a member of an Indian or Burmese armed robber band.
DARSHAN a Sanskrit term meaning sight (in the sense of an instance of seeing or beholding). It is most commonly used for ‘visions of the divine,’ i.e., of a god or a very holy person or artifact. One can ‘receive darshana’ of the deity in the temple or from a saintly person, such as a guru.
DHABA an Indian roadside restaurant, popular in northern India, playing loud music and serving spicy Punjabi food.
DHARMA a Sanskrit term that refers to a person’s righteous duty or any virtuous path.
DHOKLA a fast food from the Indian state of Gujarat made with a fermented batter of chickpeas.
DHOTI a traditional men’s garment. It is a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, usually around seven yards long, wrapped around the waist and legs and knotted at the waist.
DIDI a sister.
DIYA a lamp usually made of clay with a cotton wick dipped in vegetable oil.
DJINN a genie.
FAKIR an ascetic or mystic.
FUNDA from ‘fundamentals’; Indian English slang for situation or understanding.
GHAT a descending path or stairway to a river or landing place.
GHEE clarified butter.
GOONDA a thug or miscreant.
GORA/GORI a light-skinned person; the term is often used in reference to Westerners.
GULAB JAMUN a dessert made of dough consisting mainly of milk solids in a sugar syrup. It is usually flavored with cardamom seeds and rosewater or saffron.
HAAN-JI Hindi for ‘yes, sir/madam.’
’HAI!’ an exclamation indicating surprise or shock.
HAKIM a Muslim physician.
HALF-PANTS shorts.
’HARAMI’ ’bastard.’
IDLI a South Indian savory cake popular throughout India. The cakes are usually two to three inches in diameter and are made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented black lentils and rice. Most often eaten at breakfast or as a snack.
JADOO magic.
JASOOS a spy or private detective.
JAWAN a male constable or soldier.
JEERA cumin seeds.
KADI a spicy, sour curry made from gram flour fried in butter and mixed with buttermilk or yogurt. Served with chaval, rice.
