Bikēlē khōśagalpa
At one rainy afternoon after heavy lunch everyone was sleepy. Well, who wouldn’t be after eating this delicious Biryani which she made. While listening to the pouring rains Kurota (The dog) fell asleep beside their younger daughter. Not just Sunday but almost every day was a holiday for both of them. Kurota would jump on Mona, pull her hair, lick her cheeks after she came home from school. It was like an everyday ritual. They would play endlessly until one of them got tired. So just, as usual, they fell asleep on the living room sofa. Even baba went into the bedroom for his 4 hours long afternoon nap! He wouldn’t appreciate the food on her face, but she would know he loved it when he ate more than usual and end up giving a burp after the meal!
‘Shobair khawa hoe galey! Thala gunu sinkey niye aai..’ ( If everyone’s done bring the lunch dishes to the sink), maa said to her elder daughter. Usually, she would have to do all of it alone but when she was here, she would take the load off from maa’s shoulders. While bringing the dishes to the kitchen she said scoldingly, ‘why do you have to clean it now! Do it in the evening na! what’s the rush!’ But maa continued with her chores ignoring her. It barely takes 10-15 mins..if you want to help me, sit here and talk to me till I finish, Maa said. She sat on the kitchen floor gazing at the pouring rain through the window. To break the silence she began sharing her college gossips with maa. About how the professors are burdening them with work, how her best friend misses her dog and many others. Afternoon chitchat with maa was her most favourite time of the day. But as she was living away from the family she was missing out on it since so long. Suddenly maa asked her if she was coming home for the next weekend. She wanted to know if her elder daughter will be there for the Pujo . She understood the response in her daughter’s silence.
After washing a few of the dishes she wiped them and kept in the kitchen rack without making any noise to not to disturb little Mona’s sleep. To avoid the uncomfortable answer, she asked what are they going to buy for everyone this year for Pujo. Maa started telling her shopping list…Dress for Mona, New bedsheets and curtains for the house, carpet which her baba wanted to buy since so long and many more. And for you? her daughter asked. While taking a short break maa said, ‘eei pujo te amio kichu kinbo’ ( Even I will buy something this Pujo) No matter what she said her daughter knew that she wouldn’t buy anything for her! She would always put everyone’s priority ahead of hers. But just to tease her she suggested to buy saree and as a reflex answer maa gave her a look. When she ran out of clothing suggestion she began with cooking utensils. You should get the new cooker or kadhai at least! We have been using it since ages Maa!!, she said. After keeping all the dishes in the rack maa started wiping the kitchen floor. ‘Mad or what! Your grandma had given me after I got married there is no chance I am replacing this one’, Maa exclaimed! So she realized replacing wasn’t an option then! How about a new rack? This one is crowded with the dishes and spices bottles. But as usual maa ignored her suggestion. Anyway, she wasn’t happy about the renovation of the kitchen her father did last year. But she supported it just as every other Indian housewife. Maa most of these utensils are old now, don’t replace it if you say so but at least add a few new ones na! ‘Ki bolchish tui! Eita atoh taw purono na!’ ( What are you saying! It’s not that old!) Maa tried convincing her daughter. After arranging the dishes and spices bottles she wiped her face, went to the living room and asked her daughter to switch off the lights and sleep for a while. Maa, you didn’t close the window, she said. Yes, I have left it open on purpose, its good for ventilation. After maa left she was still sitting on the kitchen floor giving a glance at the room. She always wondered how come maa doesn’t get tired of these old things? how she still enjoys cooking when she has been doing it for years? Can one hold on to the old things that they would consider new things worthless? How can these peeling walls doesn’t suffocate maa? And maybe the answer to her questions was lingering there on the kitchen floor in the droplets coming through the window. Walls wouldn’t feel suffocating if we keep the windows open.