The Pizza challenge

IT all started one evening, when we chanced to see the poster that screamed: Eat as many Pizzas as you want for Rs. 99 only. Every Tuesday.

That triggered off an appetite, one created out of sheer greed and of course, challenge. Happy hour deals are not the kind you take your girlfriend out to, for you run the risk of being called a ``Cheapo'', said a friend.

And Tuesday, it was, as big tummy Saurav (name not changed to protect Pizzerias) and little tummy (LT) arrived on the dot. No, we couldn't stick to the original plan of starving the whole day.

As we waited for our seats, we decided:

1. To stretch limits of human endurance to accommodate as many pies of pizzas as possible: Three pizzas and two pizzas according to our respective tummy configurations, being the minimum.

2. In 90 minutes (why 90? well, why not? A challenge requires a deadline, right?)

3. Stay clear of the bottomless Pepsi (@ Rs. 35) which might encroach into tummy space reserved for pizzas that night...

8.20 p.m. We were given our seats, in the interior portion of the hall reserved for those opting for the Rs. 99 deal. And as Gerald, the host for the evening explained, we could either opt for a non-veg. (lamb) pizza or veg. pizza and once decided, should continue eating the same variety.

Saurav went for the lamb. Yours truly stuck to the veg. variety. We figured they would be served pie by pie. ``Twenty of these...15 easily,'' Saurav estimated. Ninety minutes and 15 slices meant, both had munched up one pie every 6 minutes.

Gerald brought the first slice. We set off, as we dug our teeth into the cheesy hot pie, topped with loads of sauce and chilli flakes. That done in four minutes, we decided we should avoid sauce 'cos the objective was to fill our stomach with pizza than sauce.

And no chilli flakes for spicy food, we heard, fills up your tummy faster. The logic being, that you tend to drink a lot of water. Sip of water... only in case of emergency.

The second serving came by the 6th minute. We got done with it in another 4-5 minutes. Almost that is, when we hit upon the idea that we would waste the toppingless edge of the pie that was puffed up and dry, to save more tummy space.

We turned around and figured almost everybody in the hall was doing that. Gerald took some time before he brought us the third helping. He explained that there were too many people dining and the pizza had to be served fresh.

Your's truly had reached slice no.5 and the pizza wasn't tasting as exotic as the first one, in spite of being served fresh and hot. And Saurav was still waiting for slice no.3.

Thereafter, Gerald was understanding enough to get us slices in twos. Slice no.6 went down very very slowly as Saurav caught up quickly with 3,4,5,6 and munched a bit of the veg. slice no.6 as well when no one was watching.

While one quit after being done with half of number 7, the excitement of seeing his name on print and of course, the challenge, made Saurav forking in No.7,8,9,10 slowly and steadily, and even 11. The record, Gerald told us was 12 pies.

It is the baking soda, that prevents us Indians from eating more, he explained, where as foreigners could eat upto 22 slices. But, after no.7 and no.11, we were in no mood or state for going for the records.

``No more pizzas for a while,'' we swore, as our love for pizzas suddenly evaporated. We walked out feeling heavy, and regretting the idea. The spirit of the challenge had kind of killed our love.

By Sudhish Kamath

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