There is this air of settlement, simplicity and peace around
her.
She is casual but flowing, her un-kept grey strands of hair, say's it all.
There is no way that one could guess her age
or the reason behind her permanent ambiguous smile.
One would actually feel
like asking for the ingredients of her blissful state, so visible on her face
and everywhere.
She would answer all your questions without a hitch, without
holding back and among the ingredients, there would surely be “cheese”.
Tina is a personality all by herself, needs no introduction
for once you have met her.
I had no idea whatsoever of her celebrity status, that of being
the wife of Mansoor khan, the director of some big Hindi films, when I first
met her.
Not in any way undermining the achievements of Mansoor, I would
surely give a major portion of the credit to his wife for 25 years.
Mansoor, much like me, a man of excesses, is hard to
control, had to have this better half in his life to lead a stable life.
Having walked out of the rat race, living here at a farm
near connoor, Tina runs a farm “wild acres” teaches Cheese making to the
enthusiasts, manages the farm and produces some amazing organic cheese made
from milk of her own cows, Holstein Frisian to be specific.
She always talks sense and talks well, loves her wine, bakes
her bread, reads well, listens carefully and teaches with passion.
The history, the raw material, the ingredients, the temperature,
the timings, washings, curds, culture, tenet, containers, weights, varieties
and all the details with finesse of every cheese around the world, is engraved
in her mind so beautifully, that her teaching and making of cheese, both look
like a poem or an artist with her paint brush, it just flows and even after 12
hours on the floor the face of this untiring women glows.
I have just spent a few days with the lady and our
conversation was much around the farm and cheese, me having an affinity for
milk and compulsion with farm, did wish to get inside her head to know what has
gone into making of her, maybe I would have been too intrusive, but whatever it
is, she is surely seen a large portion of a life, that many haven’t, there has
to be another ingredient that makes personalities like her!
Till then, its chalk and cheese.
