The best Vada Pav

I have spent the best years of my life in the city of Vada Pav eaters, so it comes as no surprise that I became fond of it. Never really considered it an unhygienic unhealthy street food. I have some friends who are very particular about their Vada Pav, and accept no compromise on the way they like theirs. The place, the size, the amount (and state) of chutney, the color of green chilly - it's all important.

At times, people have compared Vada Pav joints across Bombay and Pune. Which ones are better? I find that argument, and the listing of hot Vada Pav joints in each city, silly. The best Vada Pav does not belong to any city. It is really beyond the demographic barriers.

I started for Bombay from Pune Station in a Shivneri Volvo. Had a small bottle of water and followed it up with a small bottle of Nimbooz. It was too bad that the bus took 90 minutes to cross the city. And trust me, the speed of bus has been found to be inversely proportional to the rate at which the kidneys and bladder function. By the time we hit the expressway, the pressure had built up. I really had to go.

As time went by, it became more and more difficult to survive. The road stretched far and wide, and there seemed no end to the agony. After counting till 1357, during which it came to my mind thrice to ask the driver to pull over, during which I contemplated twice about filling up the Nimbooz bottle once again, and during which I thought about a business with innovative products to help people in such situations on the road, the bus finally stopped at a food mall. And I ran.

I emerged out of the washroom after two minutes, content and satisfied, with the biggest smile on my face. It was time to refuel. Went to the nearest food outlet and asked for a Vada Pav.

Like I said, the best Vada Pav does not belong to any city. It is beyond the demographic barriers of Bombay or Pune. It is really served on the Bombay Pune expressway.