Date: 01/10/2022 Shift: 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM Q. No: 70

The management of an established college happily agreed to serve mutton/vegetable biriyani, raita, green chutney and pineapple gateaux to all the students for the Annual Day celebrations. As it was a Saturday night function, at least 350 students were expected to attend. The mess, which was run by a private contractor, serving 100 meals per day to the residential students was informed about this a week in advance. The contractor hired five additional help, procured supplies and started pre-preparations two days in advance. Sacks of rice, potatoes, onions and tomatoes were stacked on the floor in a corner of the small humid kitchen. Vegetables for vegetable biriyani were heaped on the floor. The refrigerator was already full of perishables. Space would have to be made to keep the pineapple gateaux tomorrow.
The part-time helpers from the nearby chawl arrived on Friday. They were given an apron each and asked to peel garlic and help with baking the cake for the dessert, slice onions to be fried for biriyani. The onions had a black powdery substance on the outer peels, which came onto their aprons. Mutton had arrived at noon and needed to be marinated for biriyani. The cook was waiting for the curd for marinating the mutton and cream for the dessert. In the meantime, the mutton was left forgotten on the kitchen counter.
The regular assistant cook was busy looking after meals for the day. By late evening the mutton was marinated and placed on the topmost shelf in the refrigerator and the packet of cream was kept in the middle shelf. The pineapple slices were lying in the large open can in the refrigerator door since 10 days. Since most pre-preparations were done, the part–time helpers left for the day.