Posted:
8 years ago
Burn & Salve
"Wont u sit?" Amma asked with a longing to interact with the "quiet one"
"Umm... sure" he mumbled "I have a call at 5 with Sukrit" he explained
Amma nodded smiling, she was happy to see him
She felt bad for the mis treatment Appa handed out to him for no reason at all
Ganesh Chaturthi at D II had been quite eventful
Vaishnavi had to report for orientation at 2 at Gurgaon, so she showed up to "see the baby" as she claimed and declared to her Mom from the balcony, talking on her phone
"Mostly Bala Anna aathla daan irupen ma, its really close" (I will live in Bala Anna's house)
When Vandu went outside to hang her wet towel on the rail she actually heard her say it
Unhappy she had called Bala wanting to know what the hell was going on
He was busy pandering to his parents needs on festival day, decling to "get help" for
cooking the fetsival meal, helping his mother out in the Munirka kitchen, while helping his Appa set up for the pooja
He lost it a lil bit and expressed frustration saying "Do we really have to talk about it now?
First Vaishnavi is at D II and I am trying to help my parents some how manage the festival day"
Vandu was short tempered she gave Bala a piece of her mind
Appa had taken the day off for the holy day, he heard Akka's rant in II's bedroom
Amma grinned and bore it, until Vaishnavi left
Only to complain to Akka "Aathla pandigai, enna avasarm kozhandaya paaka?" "Anga irundu Bala ku help panna koodada?'
(why the hell did she show up here on a festival morning, she only came last night, cant she stay there and help Bala out?)
"Amma Bala had a choice to get Meena Mami (Iyer lady cooks are often addressed with a Mami at the end) he refused" Vandu was angry
"She is here why should you pay Rs.1000 for cooking one meal" Amma was apalled
"Because she is lazy as her mother, did u see how she didnt even take her coffee cup to the sink?" Vandu asked
"Bala is a good man Vandu, can u imagine any of today's man trying to juggle so much?" Appa's unreasonable love for his oldest SIL wouldnt let him agree with Akka
"THEY ALL DO PA" Vandu shouted
"No they dont, he has a new baby, he can be here happily, eat modak and vadai and take an afternoon nap" Appa exaggerated
"HE IS HELPING HIS PARENTS PA" Vandu cried
"Calm down kanna" Appa squirmed...
"Anda ponnu vandu 12 hours kooda ahalae Amma ku phone panni solra Munirka la tanguvalam" (barely 12 hours after her arrival she seems to have made up her mind she will stay with Balas in Munirka)
Amma was choking up with angst and tears
Appa had no answer...
Bala showed around 2, sulking and grumpy... his mother could barely make a payasam for bhog/neivedyam and Bala was worn out making the festival happen
When Vandu continued being grumpy after his continued attempts to flirt with her, he hissed
"U dont care Vandu, u are enjoying ur time at DII, Amma slipped and fell at Munirka" he hissed
Vandu was in shock
"Vaishnavi uses some slick shampoo or soap or something, u know by the door its always slippery in Amma Appa's bathroom, combined with whatever she uses, Amma slipped" he said angrily
"DID U TELL HER?" vandu asked
A bed ridden MIL, thats all she needed, post partum...
Bala grunted
"I cant believe it da" Vandu was baffled
"U think I am lying?" Bala accused
"NO, I think u are so selfish and self indulegnt" Vandu yelled
Bala stood up angrily from II's bed
"U cannot tell that moron's parents to make other arrangements, your mother fell, and you have the gall to be upset with me? All for WHAT? So u can be referred to as the Saint of Munirka among ur worthless relatives?"
Vandu ranted
Bala looked ashamed for a brief moment
"How is Amma?" Vandu asked (Bala's MIL)
"Her knee is purple because it hit the washbasin trunk (stem) "Moov pottinda" (she applied moov)
"Dont u even care about her da?" Vandu begged
appa was taking a nap, Amma wasnt back from school yet... well from school she went to II's
Bala wouldnt say a word, Vandu made coffee for him, packed everything that was leftover from the morning
And sent a batch of idli batter...
Told Amma as she took a direct bus from Andrews Ganj to Chanakyapuri, Nehru Park, taking an auto backwards from there, listening to Vandu's narration, and how she ended the call
"Ipdiye pannina I am just going to stay at D II ma" (if Bala insists on being this way)
Appa was supposed to take his new car for service which he didnt because of the war room at home
Amit, II's direct report called her so she took a call in the front lawn
"She sent me pictures, it was great to see u in a veshti" Amma looked at R&B fondly
"She wanted me to wear it" he said, looking deeply at Amma's sad eyes, he knew Mrs Iyer was always upbeat and cheerful
There was a distinct sadness in her eyes this afternoon.
"U should make her wear Punjabi outfits" Amma said preoccupied
"She does?" R&B looked confused unable to understand Mrs Iyer, as he knew II wore salwar suits all the time
"Yes yes... I forgot" Amma nodded
"You also arranged for Sitaraman?" Amma asked softly, tasting and loving the vadai
"sam did" he nodded
amma looked at R&B's eyes deeply as if trying to say something deep and meaningful "She knows how to cook everything" she said instead, casually
R&B nodded, as if he "got" Mrs Iyer's "Deep message"
"In our times, cooking was very important" Amma explained "Mr Iyer is very religious no? I have to follow a bunch of rituals every morning also" Amma described
"Even Vandu does," Amma said and stopped, her thoughts flying to what her daughter said as she ended the call
amma sighed... audibly "vandu lives in a joint family"
As if R&B didnt know...
"Yes yes... Ishita does too" she said staring at the bowl of kheer she held
R&B nodded
"In Paris there is a Hindu temple I hear, u must take her there" Amma smiled
R&B nodded slowly...
Amma set her kheer bowl, unfinished, sending some newspapers from the morning sliding down, he kneeled to pick it up before she did
he noticed a burn scar on the back of her right pinkie... Amma hadnt even realized how bad it was, red and filled with fluid...
"What happened?" he asked, shocked😭
Reaching out to feel it with his index finger, his hand hovering over Mrs Iyer's injury, kneeling forward😳
"This is a woman's badge of honor, for work in the kitchen" Amma said cynically but smiling
II turned, talking, he found R&B looking at Amma's eyes... without a smile.. she wondered what Amma was saying to him
Amma had overheard Vandu fight with Bala, and when she was moving the beans curry karhai between burners,
her hand was licked by the cooker she had just turned off, she didnt share that with the "good Punjabi boy"
"Should we send some home with you for Vandita?" he said carefully not saying Appa's name, setting Amma's bowl aside
"No no... I took the bus from school, office rush hour, everything will spill" Amma said softly
"I must give u a ride home then" R&B smiled
"No no.. its not necessary, Delhi is known to me" Amma said with pride
He nodded, but didnt agree.
Amma stood up
II wrapped up her call and walked in to give Amma betel leaves and banana (a Iyer send off to a married woman)
II teased Amma that she was running home to "be with Appa" on Appa's "day off", and how she missed him etc
II didnt notice Amma wasnt too chirpy
R&B was gone...
Only to have him show a few minutes later with his keys.. handing Amma a French burn ointment from his bathroom.
II fussed over her Amma when she learnt... Amma patted her cheek fondly
Mahavir handed Amma a sack
"My car's trunk can hold it" he smiled at Amma fondly
"U will miss your meeting" Amma reminded
"I wont Mrs Iyer" he said softly...and politely😭
In the 30 or so minutes he interacted alone with Mrs Iyer he seemed to have fostered and nourished a unspoken undefined link.
He sensed she was upset... without her saying anything...😭
His wife chattered by her mother's window, even as he pulled out of the wide imposing gates... animated... energetic
Mrs Iyer smiled and waved quietly..
"
Edited by Nisha0604 - 8 years ago
