“What’s the big deal? Stop being so finicky…” That’s how people usually trail away from my argument. Allow me to introduce myself to you – I’m a solid ‘anti-coriander’er. The photo above this introduction makes me want to turn my screen off so that I’m away from the coriander leaves’ emanating scent.

The freshly chopped tender green coriander leaves brew only one emotion in me – revulsion! The juice that is released as your teeth bite into the stem of a coriander leaf? That is the precise taste I hate the most! Whatever food is served to me must be devoid of any coriander garnish. Period.

Don’t believe me? I am willing to invest 15 minutes to fish out all the traces of coriander in my food but not take a single bite despite my stomach rumbling with hunger! Don’t judge me! My distaste for coriander began as a teenager when the dentist’s braces instructed me to steer away from coriander for two years… The coriander didn’t have a homecoming. Sigh!

But, I had a solution to it – order food without a garnish or take my serving before the garnish is thrown in. Simple! It has been my way of life for as long as I can remember…

After career switches and an injured knee, I had finally zeroed in on honing my writing skills. Fortunately, my creativity struck gold – I hit upon an amazing concept for a fiction story! Though I began working on it diligently and focused, one roadblock paused my progress.

One fine day, my writing mentor (and an extremely honest friend) – Rakesh Rajendran – pulled me up for my ‘personality flaw’. Aghast (and feeling attacked), I asked him how a coriander leaf was threatening my growth. “You seem to be wasting time on insignificant things. Finish writing your goddamn book instead!” he concluded.

*

I met Rakesh last month after approximately four years. Some things had changed – he had gotten fitter while I had gotten fatter; his work profile had changed so had my marital status. But some things were still the same– I hadn’t finished writing my (goddamn) book and my hatred for coriander was holding strong…!

As he inquired about my future plans for life, strew of excuses gushed out. With rolled eyes, he commented, matter-of-factly, “Oh, c’mon, don’t make it the dhaniya of your life!”

With my husband guffawing into the cushioned sofa, I stared at Rakesh dumbfounded. What did he just say?

“Just like you pick the dhaniya in your food – wasting time, you are focusing on the trivial things while life is rushing past you! Stop it, now, Juhi!” he pleaded sternly.

All my complaints after this had only one solution by Baba Rakesh – “Don’t make it the dhaniya of your life. Next?”

Driving back home, my meandering thoughts looked hopeful of finding a direction. How I wished I could get rid of my husband’s giggle from the car like the expert coriander picker I was…!

(Photo by Alyson McPhee on Unsplash)