You can stumble into Calcutta. You can get lost on your way. Or you can get guided.

Each has its own charm.

But Calcutta is a whole cauldron of cuisines. There is the typical Bong food, the aloo dom-maacher jhol-chingri type. There is the street-chaat culture of phoochkaas & bhel or Jhal Mudi and Ghoognee. There is the biryani and kebab side as well. Not to forget authentic Chinese that Calcutta is famous for.

And there is Park Street.

Now, on the best of nights you can easily get lost in this Anglo-Indian bastion of delicacy. The names that call for your attention include Trincas, Mocambo, Blue Fox…even Flury’s. And each has its own signature, each has its own style.

The uninitiated can get lost in the bi-lanes of taste. So when you get invited by a gourmet to dine at Call of Bengal, Hyderabad’s only Restaurant that serves you ‘Park Street on a Platter’ you change any plans you may have made and just land up there.

Now, any journey of discovery is defined by the clarity of direction. We were lucky last night because the Captain of the ship was an old Bengali connoisseur. And the Navigator and the Engineer-in-Chief were also seasoned hands.

“Soup, soup” said the chicken to the coriander as we started off the evening. The delicious Fish Chop interrupted the conversation with the salad. And chicken chops vied with the restaurant’s signature dish…Dimer Devil.

Then all the way from Florentine, the fish and spinach said cheese. The meal ended with sweet nothings from a caramelised custard.

The way we sat at a long table reminded me of the Calcutta Boats…six oarsmen on the port side, six oarsmen starboard or aft. The captain at the helm and the coxswain at the other end.

Since it was late we almost had the restaurant to ourselves. Just a lovelorn couple who were expecting solitude and the owner, the cooks and the waiter were there.

The meal was pre-ordered so there was no time wasted in thinking about what to order. And that’s when the thought struck me.

I have always looked at life as a series of surprises. Decisions taken after long debates with my family, friends and loved ones. But is there a different kind of life? One that is defined if not determined, by a greater being. And he decides what you’re going to be served and how much.

Or is life actually just that and is the whole unplanned, mystery-adventure bit only a mirage?