There lived in town near a jungle a plump couple. The man was called “Dhumma” & the woman “Dhummi”.
As there description suggests both loved to eat & Dhummi was a very good cook.
Dhumma once wanted to eat ‘Bhajias’ so he requested Dhummi to make some. Dhummi agreed provided Dhumma got the chana daal needed for the flour to make the ‘bhajias’.
Now Dhumma did not have any money to spend, so he tied two bags, under the armpits of a huge coat belonging to his grandfather.
He went to the first grocer’s shop in the market dipped his hands in the sack of channa daal. Taking big handfuls he made a big show of checking the grains against light but let the grains trickle down his arms, into the bags in his armpits all the while asking the shopkeeper,” What is the price of this daal?”
“Rs.36/- a kilo sir.”
“Very expensive,” said Dhumma shaking his head. He went to the next shop, to repeat the same exercise.
In this fashion Dhumma visited al the shops in the town till his bags became quiet full.Then he went home and emptied his bags, Dhummi had now plenty of channa daal for the flour.
She started quite happily making the ‘bhajias’ then she had another problem –No Oil.
So Dhumma went to the market again to fetch oil, but this time he wore a 9-yards sari on his head as a turban. In the shop he asked, “What is the price of oil?” & jerked his head in the open can of oil. The turban fell in the oil.
”Arre arre my turban,” said Dhumma and ran home with the dripping turban. At home he wringed the turban, now they had enough oil to fry the ‘bhajias’.
Dhummi now told him to fetch firewood. Miserly Dhumma went to the forest to chop wood. Chop, chop, chop went Dhumma.The sound echoed in the silent forest. The noise he made woke up the hungry man-eating Rakshas in the forest.
“Ha, Ha, Ha” said the Rakshas, “After a long time I am getting a tasty morsel to eat” and picked up Dhumma.
Dhumma was very scared, “Please let me go; I only came to chop wood because Dhummi is making ‘bhajias’ I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
The Rakshas had also heard about Dhummi’s cooking prowess, he was tempted at the thought of eating mouth watering ‘bhajias’.
“Alright,” he said,” I will let you go if you promise to keep some ‘bhajias’ for me.” Dhumma readily agreed and ran home with the firewood.
Dhummi made a lot of ‘bhajias’ from potatoes, onions, palak, methi, cauliflower etc. both kept on eating for they were very tasty.
The fragrance of the ‘bhajias’ attracted the Rakshas he started rushing towards Dhumma, Dhummi’s house. His footsteps echoed in the forest. Dhumma recognised the sound and remembered his promise to the Rakshas. He now told Dhummi about his meeting with the Rakshas and his promise to him about keeping ‘bhajias’.
There were hardly any left, so Dhummi suggested that they hide themselves. So they did.
The Rakshas now had reached Dhumma, Dhummi’s house he looked into the kitchen and found the few left in the dish. He finished all of them in one gulp now he wanted more. He looked around in the house but could not find any more ‘bhajias’. He felt cheated and started to search for Dhumma & Dhummi roaring all the while.
When he found them he was so angry that he seized them in his fist and was about to gobble them up.
Just as he was about to put them in his mouth some of Dhummi’s long hair tickled his nose.
A..A achoo went the Rakshas so loud and hard that Dhumma & Dhummi were just swept away with the gust of breeze quite far away from there house.
It was a long time after which Dhumma & Dhummi came back home.
