Teach Me How to make Daal Chawal, I need to impress the in laws!!

Have you ever come across a typical Indian family at a gathering? Well if you haven’t, then trust me, it is nothing less a Karan Johar movie. Yes, we have all sorts of characters under one umbrella. And most of the time we manage to dodge the rain without getting drenched.

We may complain about the eavesdropping, my-business-is-everyone’s-business, choked environment (similar to what molecules feel in an ice cube) but life is far better with all the complaints than having no one to care for. In such surroundings, we always have that one uncle or aunt in our family who manages to impart their unwarranted wisdom on pretty much everything. Starting from what should be eaten for dinner to have effortless stools the following morning, on advising what color sari will suit the new bahu (daughter-in-law). The unlucky ones are blessed with a dozen of 'that' kind. And when they all come together, it is nothing less than a cacophony of our Indian Parliament session.

Most of the young Indian girls try their hand in cooking when they have visitors around, to impress the guests and to hone their hospitality skills. I was no different. I took great interest in cooking. And I took greater interest in serving that charred over cooked chicken tikka masala to my loved ones. My lack of expertise in the kitchen game (mom being my referee) was always overlooked by flooded compliments and endearing words of encouragement that I steadily managed to tear down the kitchen brick by brick with my experiments.

Naïve that I was, always enjoyed the attention and smiled when my relatives told my parents that she had all the qualities of being a dutiful daughter-in-law. And when I realized that the world was my oyster, I was taken to a room only to be informed that my folks have chosen a suitable candidate for me. (It’s pretty much like running for elections…like me…vote for me!!!)

  

Amidst all the chaos, the girl (who once thought she had wings to fly) was wondering why did she throw away her dolls because at that moment all she wanted to do was brush her doll’s hair and hum her favorite lullaby which her dad would sing to her every night before she rested her eyes with belief that she will be protected, loved just the way he did when she was a little girl.

Family is like an armor that each one of us wear everyday with pride. It protects us like how a lion protects its cub from all the wilderness. Family accepts one’s flaws with utmost sincerity and defends its members like the last man standing on the battle field. For a toddler, she sees the society through the lens of her family…a family that she believes in, cares for and stands by even when walks out of the door to build another household!!