Issue 39: brief moments of infinite delight by Mayur Chauhan
"and now when it rains / bold, bubbly Kishore Kumar songs / chai, mandatory / {dreamy delightful Delhi / early in the days, of everything, on earth..."
brief moments of infinite delight | by Mayur Chauhan
brief moment of infinite delight
Yesterday, after grocery shopping I ordered mediterranean for lunch because I was hungry and tired and for whatever reason — get this, sad. ‘Tis the season after all.
I ordered the lunch special Chicken Shawarma with rice but not salad. I asked for extra bread, instead if possible, and also ordered 6 side portions of garlic sauce, 2 hummus and baklava for dessert.
A man walked in, white mustache, big presence, a regular, sat at a table I think was his usual. He got his complimentary bread right away.
Arabic music played as two men walked in, for a takeout for Omar, it was ready. I joked don’t you love it? Your food is ready as soon as you walk in. They smiled, agreed, the one with longer hair loved my comment more than the one with a hat.
They left and a man in black (neither Will Smith nor Tommy Lee Jones) walked in, sat at the bar table next to where I waited, without looking at the menu he ordered a greek salad, cauliflower and bread.
I asked him if he always orders that and he said he does. The cauliflower is the best. He’s taking some for his coworkers too. Because communal flatulence is fun, I thought.
He doesn’t eat meat, he said. I wondered if the milk in my car would be okay while I waited.
I had in my hand the menu of JoJo’s Mediterranean Lebanese restaurant. I saw the owner back in the kitchen on a video-call with a loved one, I thought? I wanted to check-in with him. Does he have family back in Beirut? I wanted to give him a hug. I thought of my family in India. I also wanted to make sure there’s the right count of garlic sauce with my order.
I picked the ginger and the carrots from the street that came right out as I opened the car trunk. A lady in a red car let me merge lanes. Of course there was one less garlic sauce.
But what I’m trying to say is, what I’m really trying to say is that the baklava made up for all of it. So if I could, I’d bring baklava for all of you everywhere.
Read more from brief moments of infinite delight.
Mayur Chauhan is an L.A. based immigrant, writer, actor, and teacher of creativity. He writes stories in all forms and has published over 40 pieces in Khôra, McSweeney’s and elsewhere. A Bread Loaf, VONA and Key West Literary Seminar scholar, Mayur created and facilitates C.A.R.E. for Artists– an 8-week long online creativity, & accountability group for artists across disciplines. He wants you to know that you’re amazing. Mayur loves writing letters by hand, chai and you.
Issue 39 Highlights
Issue 39: brief moments of infinite delight by Mayur Chauhan
Issue 39: Untitled, IVF placenta print by Anonymous Featured Artist
Issue 39: How to Eat a Spider by Featured Writer Rebecca Evans
Issue 39: The Tree of Togetherness by Michael Nagle
Issue 39: Sensuality of the Freeze by Marina Gross-Hoy
Issue 39: This Litany is an Elegy for the Phoenix’s Friend by nawa angel a.h.
Artists and Writers
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With galactic gratitude,
Leigh Hopkins
and the Corporeal/KHÔRA squad
I am infinitely DELIGHTED 😍