Thanni paal----Watery milk.

`Every morn in the joint family never failed to dawn without my m-i-l testing the quality of the milk delivered by the milk maid by trying to roll a drop on her wrist and with it invariably failing this ancient test of measuring the fat content by dripping down to the ground ,without standing ground and round [kall sottu--the tamil word] , followed by an half an hour of wordy duel between the two, Accusations and denials ,flying thick and fast.But her persistence generally paid off.

There was a lot at stake at the thickness of the milk delivered as my m-i-l prided herself of serving aromatic, thick creamy , filter coffee to her family and guests.Her day was made by the look of obvious pleasure on every one's face on savouring the taste of her coffee.Her simple pleasure ,contributed greatly in adding complex layers of fat on my once thin willow like frame.

Along with that came uninvited, all the life style diseases associated with middle age and daily visits to the doc ,whose regular refrain was , cut fat and diet.

Few years back Aavin introduced 'diet milk' with great fanfare and I immediately made a card and was delivered off some of the fat,i had accumulated over the years.

Then all of a sudden the official stopped issuing the card for red colored sachets---diet milk, saying that there was no demand for 'thanni paal'. [It has less fat content than the standard milk]

Coupled with the onset of my growing indifference to my general well being , the cavities caused by loss of fat achieved assiduously so far under my watch ful eyes , quickly filled in , making me plod along instead of walking.

I notice that the milk delivery boy still distributes that exotic item thanni paal to a favoured few though our enquiries and enquiries by ever growing line of waddling middle agers and doddering seniors are always turned down by the official at the nearby Aavin office, that the diet milk is in short supply, making us totter around under the weight of our fattened cells and resigning to the fate of being middle aged middle classers lacking the clout of tea shop owners and 5 star hoteliers.

The once all pervading milk maids and milk men have become elusive in this city and the 'thanni paal' is hard to come by.Hence i have no other go but to rely upon aavin hoping that it would increase the supply and distribution of, diet milk.