Unpublished Diary page-1 of a Home-maker💖......

             Unpublished Diary page-1 of a Home-maker...

It seems a lifetime as I entered into the 26th year of my marital bliss. Now I can conveniently say Sasural and maayeka are equally shared as I stepped into my 51st year of life in this heaven called earth. Cooking was never my strong point...I realized this once I was into this connubial felicity in the very first week. Did a couple of courses while I was still a bachelor, in non-conventional cooking and impressed my neighbors residing near my maika house. Baking, ice-cream making, and sambhar dosa chutney were some of the dishes that can be counted on fingertips ....but I could very well boast to others that I can now don the hat of a chef...don’t laugh!!!😛 ....I was about to get married but still, if somebody asks ‘dal pehchano’......goosebumps ho Jaat the😂😂. But the ordeal didn’t end here 😉.....the first day of the second week of my marriage...I was asked by my dear husband ....please pack my lunch by 9.15 am sharp as I have to leave the house by 9.20 am (for office). And it’s still a question which surrounds my not so perfect mind ...who, in this country, is so punctual without faltering even for once, in a week ...that too in a government job, a Sarkari Babu?........ And I didn’t need to go far as an example was in front of me ...my dear newly wedded husband😀.....so proud of him😗..still I m and his punctuality has imbibed by me so much so that on few occasions I have been asked by the organizers of an event to come little late as it will take half an hour or so to start the function😄.

Well, so cooking the first meal was a complete challenge for me. I had to adhere to the rules set by the high command and as an obedient demure wife, I Couldn’t sleep the whole night as I had nightmares ....if not.... then what?😳😩. As I have been told by my jeethaniji that Dal Arhar is one of the most preferred protein to be packed at least twice in a week of 6 days and other jars were well labeled by the name of, moong dal and urad dal, Dhuli and chhilke wali. 

Precisely five options and they exactly fitted into my requirement of 4 Dabba tiffin to pack one protein item every day. The second Dabba was allotted to sookhi-sabzi.....but here I had to be careful as options were limited since vegetables which were in the eatable list were only 4-5, topping the list was our dear alloo......never came across so much obsession for such a bland vegetable...I instantly knew I have to carve out a niche to find a slot in his favorite list😁....can not compete with alloo, had to do better than all the laukis, torais,Karela, etc., etc...list of not to be eaten vegetables is longer than any road to success😆...

Who does that? ....but I did 😉....scared to burn the dear dal I put it in a pan full of water to the brim at 6 am so it will be cooked by 8.30 am .....took all necessary precautions by peeping into the pan every 5 mins ......now I knew the literal meaning of aate dal ka bhav pata lagana😛...Shadi Karke😆......somehow Dabba was ready to go to the office by 9 am. I patted my back for a successful start....must be thinking that war is over....nooooo....ab to Jung ka elan hua tha ...woh bhi Pyaar se......’Pyaar se darr Lagta hai thappad se nahin’.....dialogue was written long back in my dictionary as soon as ‘I’ became ‘we’.

I was anxiously waiting for the happy face to come and appreciate my efforts, if not great but satisfactory...at least I deserved a teeny weeny phone call...but to my utter dismay there was none. 

Anxiously awaited the clock to struck 7 pm so that my lion enter the den. Yes !!! He was there at the doorstep I welcoming him with a wide nervous grin, this situation was worse than our first meeting, I asked so how was the day .........and the meal.....after a long pause he just said “ day was good but busy....and right now no comments for the food as u really tried your best ...but I want you to know that I love good food and I think so as you too, so dear I m giving u close to six months, learn at least moderate cooking ....otherwise ....”.....and this sentence was left incomplete. I was in complete shock but with my little pride left ....took the challenge up my sleeve and learned basic cooking within 2-3 months..........just to add a little humor, I got so carried away with this culinary expertise that with each passing year his four Dabba tiffin was increased in size and I had only one motive, have to impress his colleagues of the office lunch club. But later he has to beg me “ Listen, there is no need to take so much pain and effort as my waist size is increasing continuously so plain lunch is enough to satiate my hunger pangs”. Aghast I wondered now what else is left to do for me, other than looking after my kids, in life. Also, this Dabba when traveled from 4th floor of my flat to the car, it became the talk of the building and later my friend of the first floor asked sheepishly ....” Dear your husband doesn’t look obese than how come such big tiffin he consumes during lunch and that too in the office” ......still I m in search for a suitable response😅😅😅.