Morning Ragaa

Every Indian household wakes up to the cookathon announced by whistles of pressure cookers...the usual kitchen hustle bustle...every lady battling it out to accomplish mission tiffin before the husband/children announce”time's up”(translated in Hindi as late ho gaya...kitna time lagega? Main jaa rahaa hoon...time pe kyon nahi dete? Roz late ho jaata hai)! Poor lady, aka the Maggi mother says “2 minutes, just done and in order to deliver the over promised, zooms up the procedure, adding extra virgin oil, accelerating the burners, managing to deliver before the husband zooms away. There are no trophies, always a feedback. If the task is accomplished well within time, he says “kal sey time pe dena); no matter how long he takes after that to search for that important file he kept with the newspapers. And if its a bad day, and the job is not done on time, there is lot of constructive feedback, '”rehney do, tumsey nahi hoga, main baahar khaa loonga.” The lady asks for 2 more minutes, just the student who hasn’t finished the paper after the time's up. There's a wicked look, just like the examiner who snatches away the paper. And this exams happens 6 days a week.

“Even God got a day off after he created earth!”) Sighs the lady as she waits eagerly for Sunday. She dreams of a late, lazy morning, an hour or 2 of extra sleep, and on rare occasions, a surprise breakfast treat from the husband, like he did just after marriage).

But all her dreams of joy de vivre become nightmares when, looking up from his morning paper, he smiles and says “Darling, kucch accha saa special banaa do!” Welcome to the Sunday special!

This is level 2 of the game, as it involves not just husband, but the tiny tots as well. The mummy becomes a genie and they demand the best of junk! Husband wants something different, special, exotic....actually Made to order for him! Suddenly, the relaxed Sunday morning becomes the Lok Sabha battle....which bill (dish) to be passed. Just that there's never a common consensus. Kids love burgers with french fries, husband just paid 16000 for gym membership; husband wants poha, kids find it boring; husband wants his paneer paranthas, “you just gave in tiffin on Wednesday”, kids say. And the lady of the house, just like the speaker, stares at every bill being countered and rejected. Till she's had it enuf. “french toast and chocolate milk shake” else we get Idli sambhar from the Dakshin corner. The uprising dies down almost immediately. Husband finds it a task to drive down and wait In queue in the sun. Kids find chocolate shake a saving grace than succumbing to boring Idlis. The battkle has been won! The veto power has been used and Mrs. Sharma smiles away to glory! Till she readies herself to battle it out next morning!

Morning raga, at its best!