From Archery to Culinary, Deepika Kumari's food for thought to beat lockdown boredom

There's no bull's eye to aim at for the time being so Deepika Kumari doesn't mind rustling up a mean chicken curry which will appeal to the taste buds of beau and fellow international Atanu Das.

Deepika and Atanu, who had been engaged for about two years, originally wanted to focus on Tokyo Olympics and get married once it's over but now it seems early wedding bells for Indian archery's "first couple" with the Games deferred to 2021 owing to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

"Chawal aur daal pakana aataa thaa. Ab non-veg (mostly chicken) banana sikh rahe hain. (I knew basic cooking about making rice and daal but now I'm trying out some non-veg delicacies like chicken curry," Deepika told PTI in an interaction here.

So it's her mother providing some "online tips" on how to prepare a chicken curry which she is often cooking.

"My day starts off with Pranayam and visualisation practice for about 45 minutes. After breakfast, it's time to learn some cooking," she said.

Archery however has not taken any backseat for the former world number one as the duo have made a five-metre range in the hall of their living room where they shoot for about two hours in the afternoon. It's more of a simulation than actual practice which is out of question till lockdown continues.

"We shoot for about one and half to two hours by setting a target. It cannot compensate for the real shooting range. We practice as much as possible and just staying confined to our home."