Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.๐
It was no longer her battle. The kitchen was no longer a platform to prove her efficiency as a homemaker. To cook or not to cook was purely her choice. But it had not been like this always. Watching the movie- 'The Great Indian Kitchen' brought to the surface the memories that had been buried for years now-
How she was reprimanded for not remembering to keep
the jug of water on the dining table- at lunchtime.
How she was shamed because the buckets were not sparkling.
How the ladies had to remain in ‘attendance’ while the
men were eating and not be chatting
shamelessly with one another in the kitchen- delaying to serve crispy hot
dosas straight from the pan.
How one had to bathe early in the morning- dress up
well with the bindi and thaali mala in place and not look dishevelled in spite of the chores.
How the entire day was about planning the menu for the
next meal- in elaborate detail. Life
was all about – only about and nothing
but about planning the menu, cooking, eating and cleaning up. Reading, writing, singing, dancing, drawing- why- even thinking and dreaming was out of bounds...๐ฅด
How by the time the last of the ladies finished lunch
it would be time for tea and snacks for the first set of gentlemen! ๐
How after a long tiring journey, one had to
immediately sit down to chop and cut humongous jackfruits ('gifted' by loving relatives) to make chips, jam
and whatever. While the gents would be resting!
How she was trained to make pickles- while being reminded that she had not been taught such an important life skill at her home, and God
forbid if it was festival time or family functions. Waking up at ungodly hours
to chop vegetables, scrape and grind coconuts endlessly for the umpteen number of dishes to be cooked.๐คฆ๐ฝ♀️
How the very next day after her wedding she was asked to
pour idli batter into the idli moulds- while being watched if she managed to do
it without spilling it. They were afraid she would make a mess of it- but it
was announced: “She needs to be trained”!
How there was the tradition to have the latest
recruit/ bride serve the guests during the family function to ensure she knew
how to do it right.
How it was sacrilegious if one's left hand touched the serving dish inadvertently while serving, how one had to collect and balance the used banana leaves precariously, how one had to pick up the leftovers spilt on the floor, then sprinkle water in one direction- wipe it out with the palm in another- and then the final swab with the assigned piece of cloth- all this under the watchful eyes of critical elders...it was harrowing! ๐
Not being able to slurp one's way through the flowing payasam from the banana leaf was also an unforgivable lapse. ๐๐
How she was called into the office room by well-meaning uncles- and given a dressing down on how to plan her daily chores-
maintain a ‘timetable’.
How she was handed a letter- explaining to her in the ‘kindest’
of words that she was being a bad homemaker- bad daughter in law- because sometimes
her sulks showed. Because she had to cook full course feast spreads almost
every day- and cater to visitors cheerfully.
How even when casual visitors dropped in, they were
persuaded to stay back for lunch/ dinner- elaborate ones at that, so much so that relatives used to schedule their shopping expeditions in the city such
that they would land up in their house for food knowing very well that they
were going to be persuaded to stay for meals. And revelling in the great slogan-
‘Athithi Devo Bhava’, the glory of serving food to people- and special brownie points if they happened to be brahmins! ๐
How she shouldn’t be listening to music as she worked.
How another relative brushed his finger across the shelf
and showed her the dust on it...
How she was asked to prepare tea just as she was about
to sit thinking the day’s chores were finally done-
How one had to cool the piping hot tea- and then
reheat it again because it was a wee bit too cool!
How, if one handed over the tea a little earlier than usual, one was chided, 'trying to finish off the chores soon eh?"๐ฅด
How one had to prepare the same dish in different
ways- with lots of coconut, with a little coconut and with no coconut.๐
How there had to be three types of curds with varying
degrees of sourness.๐
How the new sheets had to be changed because they
smelt ‘new’!๐๐ฅด
How she used to clean her house top to bottom
frantically- because visitors were
arriving the next day- and the thoughtful ‘visitors’ would rearrange every
single thing that she had to hunt for things in her own home. And how she was
expected to be grateful for this kindness.
How she was ‘taught’ to make sambharam-
buttermilk the right way- with the right
ingredients- in the right measure- and then when she prepared the same for
another elder- he gave her another lecture on how she had done it all wrong and
proceeded to give her another recipe- for preparing buttermilk. ๐คท๐พ♀️๐ฅด
Watching this movie- made her stomach go queasy! She wanted
to scream from the rooftops- those well-meaning elders- some had already
crossed the threshold- and the others were too old- no point in waging any
battle- proving any point and yet how she
wished this movie had been made around 30 years ago…๐
A girl gets married to the Kitchen- The Great Indian
Kitchen!๐คญ
#thegreatindiankitchen #thegreatindiankitchenmalayalam #thegreatindiankitchentamil
