I was about 9 then. I hurriedly finished my lunch with freshly prepared Avakaya and rushed to the river bank behind my house. My friends were waiting for me.
“What took you so long?” asked Adilakshmi.
I said “Avakaya”, with a blissful expression on.
“With Mudda Pappu*?” asked Balli, a lot of happiness with a hint of jealousy was written all over his face.
“Yesss” I said as if I won a prize in school.
Such is the taste of Avakaya that it makes everyone feel excited.

It is always a moment of celebration during the summer when nanna used to get fresh juicy mangoes from Nuziveedu especially for Avakaya. My grandmother would sit in the courtyard mixing the mango pieces and all other ingredients to prepare the magic. My brother, sister and I used to hover around watching the entire process with total awe.

* Mudda Pappu - A traditional lentil preparation made with Red Gram.