Kitchen Politics

 The " HE SAYS SHE SAYS " Series

' Empty vessels make more noise. ' But they are definitely way better than adults making noise on emptying them. By adults I by all means refer to the Man of the House who on a full belly infront of the telly reviews the meals. 

  " Darling,  the sambhar was marvelous only it missed the tanginess like your taunts. The idlis were soft as your cheeks, only if they could have turned fluffy like you turned post marriage. The chutney was hot and fiery like your tongue.... " The reviews could have continued for a kind client called to check his case progress. Sometimes I feel my husband could be the next Shashi Tharoor only my not being Sunanda Pushkar discourages him. Someone who has never lifted the laddle to stir the curry, except on pretext of banging it on the thali to scare the shit out of corona talks on food chemistry is amazing. It's like getting a Doctorate without going to School!!! Kitchen is the unventured, unexplored territory for him. Its the No Man's Land with the women finding solace in the spice and curry. It's the Bermuda Triangle -mysterious and scary. Nobody's been there but everyone talks about it! Especially Mr. Wallet in his bermudas talking about Flavours of India. 

  " Mushy( that's what he calls me when he about to slide a huge demand under a petite rock) why don't you try some healthy humus and pita bread today? "

" Definitely Bushy( that's what I call him when I'm in no mood to give in) if you are going to cook it I will relish it not only my fingers but also my toes!!! " This statement must have made him find a bush to dump me! 😁😁😁

  " No. No. I mean if the Annapurna would have made it then life would be heavenly. "

Atleast he could have called me Rachel Ray or a Julia Child?  Okay not very american but atleast the local Pankaj Bhadouria. But Annapurna sounds so Monisha type middle class. Be it. But I am not making any hummus or pita let him get any Rita,  Nita( Not from Mukesh) or Sita. What? Arey the feminine version of Tom Dick and Harry!!! 

    Frustrated with my 2020 Revolt, Mr. Wallet tries to evoke a Mother India in me. But I am also no Mother Teresa to have mercy on him. 

  " Mushy,  we all love your cooking. Our son writes essays on your culinary skills. Atleast for him cook the hummus. "

  Yes,  I am a mother and need to tend to all my child's need. I chose to be a mother, but cooking, cleaning and teaching just dragged itself along with it. I had to don a hundred caps to fulfil my duty as a mother.  And with every milestone of my baby,  an unseen unappreciated feather was added to my cap. But that doesn't mean I have to do it always or to be more specific feel guilty for not doing it always. 

 Kitchen according to my grandma, is the most worshipped place for here lies Health the Wealth. According to her,  every woman sings, shakes a leg, giggles, gossips and lives a life under the roofs of a kitchen. A good wife and a mother must cook for her family's welfare and well-being. She has to make a soul curry and not just any vegetable curry. 

    But my soul refuses to accept this dictum. Times have changed from past to present . Kitchens have moved from earthen to modular. So also has the place of WORship shifted to WORKship. I work to provide my family healthy meals than actually making one. I add dreams and ambitions to it not just spice and salt. Being a mother, necessarily doesn't mean I have to be a cook, cleaner and his teacher. Parenting alone is a Herculean task let's not club it with many others on the way. Today parenting is no longer a gender biased role, so also a kitchen not a only woman's territory. It is decorated, glorified and diversified by many Ramsay Gordans and Sanjeev Kapoors. With this note, I hand over a book of Khana Khazana to my food critic to let him discover the treasures of cooking. 

 For ' A Woman who can Feed, is also the Woman who can Lead!! '