6.45 pm - It's been a long day at office. Weary, hungry, thirsty and tired I get my legs to cooperate and complete the last 100 m home. From my bus stop of course. It had been raining for the better part of the week and the place was swarming with insects. As I reached the lobby of my building, the dim fluctuating source of light was attracting a swarm of insects. Small and large. What struck me was the peculiar smell emanating from seemingly flightless fat little bugs. Looking at them, they should not be able to fly at all. The smell was awful. A monsoon conspiracy to make my life more miserable, I say. Protecting my nose with a porous palm, I sprinted to the elevator, to escape this smelly onslaught. On the way up to the top floor, the smell reminded me of childhood. The same smell, coming from the same insects, triggered a memory. While the smell itself was awful the memory was sweet. A memory of playful days, of abundant mischief, of carelessness, free from the tyranny of responsibility. The odor of the monsoons then was distinct, unlike modern times. The odor of the insects though repungent marked the arrival of bhuttas, paper boats, vicks and floods.
6.45 pm - The ORions were the messenger boys responsible for passing information to the OBermeister. They belonged to another world. A parallel world named Sensurion. The ORions were bored having no challenges ahead. The ship in which they travelled had been overworked and in urgent need of fuel. As the ship proceeded to cover the final 100 leapoids, things changed. Warning bells started breaking the silence. Dark Odor's forces seemed to be up to some mischief.
Lord Dark Odor usually planned his assaults during the period when it rained the most. His principal weapons were bubble shaped ships, black in colour that made you wonder how they could fly at all. The bubble shaped ships were flown by equally disgusting beings - Stinkroids. As the assault begins, the Stinkroids released a mysterious chemical into the air. When the material reached the ship, it was tackled by the ORions who sent information about it to the OBermeister who in turn sent a report to the High Command - the Cerebrum. In the process of sending information to the Cerebrum, the Generals from the Tribe of Glomeruli - the Glomerulians play an important role in screening the signals. In this particular instance the Cerebrum's response was one of dichotomy. On one hand the machine responded by blocking the passage of the chemicals released by the Stinkroids, while on the other hand it also released CoJ's (Chemicals of Joy). Mysterious are the ways of the Cerebrum indeed!
6.50 pm - The smile on my face did not vanish. It did look silly. But childhood memories have a way of having this effect on you. The door opened and I was greeted by the most pleasant mix of aromas. The aromas, formed by tightly intertwined wisps of flavours, came from a mixture of olives, mozzarella, freshly baked bread, tomato puree, oregano. It was heady, it was awesome. I shouted with delight 'we're making pizzas tonight - the Italian way!'. Making pizzas in the house is one of those special occassions when all of us pitch in. Some cut the mushrooms, some spread the tomato puree on the dough, while others spread the onions and the olives. And, the lazier ones like me take delight in the aroma and help in handling the oven.
This turned out to be the second time I went back to childhood. The same ritual that we religiously orchestrated in our childhood once again enacted. In person. With anticipated joy I took the first bites into the freshly baked pizza. A pizza that would put the likes of popular pizza chains to shame. I wonder why they do not understand that the toppings go in the oven with the pizza and need to be cooked. That's what gives you that heady aroma. It's the perfect cocktail for the olfactory senses. Together with the taste it gives, this elixir for the senses is by far the best thing that ever happened in my life. After gorging on several mouthful slices, I take a break. Satisfied. Feeling relished. My senses fully gratified. An evening spent reliving my childhood.
I ponder philosphically at the contrasting experiences. The smell of the insects and the smell of the pizza. Opposites in character, but having the same consequence. Triggering fond memories. It was as if I had flown through a worm hole and landed in my home 25 years ago. I could see friends, with whom I played now scattered continents across. I could hear the excitement in my friends voices when I told them what was cooking at home. Plans immediately crystallized in thin air, a scrabble tournament it is! I smiled inward, the evening looking promising.
6.50 pm - The ORions relax. The Cerebrum's remedial actions against the attack of the Stinkroids work. As the CoJ's have a soothing effect on the ship, the OBermeister readies itself for possible assaults. One can never be sure of the enemy. Especially, of the likes of Lord Dark Odor. As the ship reaches its destination, everyone in the ship is alerted by a strange mixture sent by Aromanians. The Aromanians live in flowers and foods and have a peculiar quality in them. They are able to turn the most weakened ship and transform it into a state of energy. The Aromanians are a very diverse lot. Each has a unique character. And when they dance together in unison, each dance transforms into a unique experience. It is said that the each Aromanian dance has a lifetime of an instance. The ORions and the OBermeister are overjoyed in sending this information to the Cerebrum. The Cerebrum, this time is not caught in dichotomy. The signal is clear. Release the Chemicals of Joy. The release is triggered both by the nature of the Aromanian chemicals but also by their association in the past. It is a time to celebrate. A victory for the Senses having overcome the ordeal of dealing with Lord Dark Odor and the Stinkroids.
11.00 pm - What a night! So said Simon and Garfunkel in their famous Central Park Live concert. A feeling echoed by my soul after devouring 3 full pizzas. The aromas still tingling my nose through their dance of ecstasy. The downside of it however was that I could not sleep. My mind refused to let go of the delicious emotions coming as periodic tides. There has to be a way to sleep. Lavender, I mutter to myself. Lavender has a soothing and calming effect on the senses. Maybe that would work. Opening the cupboard I spy upon a freshly packed deodorizer from Ambi Pur (see http://www.facebook.com/AmbiPurIndia). Coincidentally it was a Lavender. I decided to give it a try and sprayed randomly through the house and a generous amount in my bedroom. Within moments the dancing aromas vanished and I felt a peaceful tranquility settling upon myself. Slowly I slipped into a deep slumber taking along with me memories of a memorable evening.
11.00 pm - The overworked ORions were getting tired. The dance of the Aromanians though pleasing, required a lot of stamina. Not many could keep up with it. And so was the case now. If only there could be some respite so that they could rest. The Cerebrum had also started taking actions and directed the ship to explore how it could dock and refuel itself. Within moments the solution appeared in the form of a shield. Like policemen managing a crowd in a concert, the Aromatii whose role was to reign in the Aromanians when they went out of control, sprang into action. Peacefully they asked the Aromanians to call it a night, thanking them for their help in overcoming the effects of the Stinkroids. As the Aromanians dispersed, the ship docked into the resting station, to begin refuelling itself. Refuellling for new challenges, new adventures, to explore new worlds, to boldly go where no Ship has gone before.
Next day as I sat for my breakfast, I wondered at the events of the evening before. I pondered how could two opposite smells evoke the same memories. Which got me thinking, how the hell does my nose work? I had of course read about about other animals having more acute senses of smell e.g. the bloodhounds. I had also read about how one person's perception of a smell differed with anothers. For example while my friend got ecstatic when shopping at the fish market, I on the other hand had a difficult time surviving there. So there has to be a context established somewhere, sometime in the process. It is a learning process. Then there are those fragrances that all humans love. The fragrance of flowers. Lavender, rose, mogra. Which means there is complex chemistry involved here. The chemistry or physiology, neurology and psychology of the sense of smell. Wow, I say to myself, I need to satisfy myself on how this works, or rather what we understand today of how it works.
Turning to Google, I researched. I read articles, research papers and saw videos. The way it works is nothing short of a bioengineering marvel. Watch the 90 minute video on Scent and Sensibility from the World Science Festival. The importance of smell in our lives is immense. Smell often called the forgotten sense, plays a pivotal role in human reproduction, survival, affects human moods and behaviour, It is perhaps only in humans that the sense of smell is so strongly connected to those parts in the brain that influence emotions which is why we tend to respond so emotionally to different smells. This relationship has spawned the popular aroma therapy for stress busting. In context of this article, BBC's account on nostalgic smells, is perhaps the most relevant. I would love to quote this from this article.
Human beings tend to emphasise vision over all other senses, but our sense of smell is important enough to evoke its own form of déjà vu. Perhaps the foul and strange smells we experience today will be associated with fond memories in years to come.
Cast
- ORions - Olfactory Receptors
- Obermeister - Olfactory Bulb
- Glomeruli - Glomerulus
- Cerebrum - Brain
- Aromatii - Ambi Pur
- Ship - Human body
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