Thursday, May 27, 2004

Naaku

This story is not my own. It appeared in Kalki as a short story called "naaku" by some author unknown. However, my mom read the story and told me the gist of it. I rewrote it again from scratch in English. Is that a translation, I don't know. I do know that the English version of the story is what I wrote. However, legal disclaimers aside, enjoy the story


It was when he was eighteen, that Shiva began criticizing his mother's cooking.
-What is this? This isn't roti. It tastes like the inside of a camel's thigh.
-Man! ill date I didn't know what idlis were, till I finally had them at Shanmugam's house
-The coffee that you make mom, I finally found out it was just plain water, after I had coffee at the Vasantha Bhavan Hotel.
Lakshmi was stung by her son's harsh words. Till he was eighteen, Shiva had been very fond of his mother's cooking and had proudly proclaimed to one and all that his mom's cooking was the best. His sudden change in attitude, hurt Lakshmi and led her to introspect a lot on her cooking, and made her for the first time in her life quite insecure.
-Mom! I finally found what a cheat you are. That rasam you make, it's so bad. Try having it at Madhu auntie's place. It tastes so nice there.
-Mom! Is this dosa, or some old carpet. Why is it so thick.

Lakshmi was confused by this attitude. She was desperate since her husband, and all others never seemed to complain about her food. Over time, she took to asking her guests about the food, and critically comparing it with Shiva's comments.
-Mausi, this biryani is great, commented Leela, her favourite niece.
-Leela's lost her tounge, claimed Shiva.
-No dolt. If anybody's lost their tounge, it's you. You couldn't have tastier biryani.
-Well then! You have it. This has no favour at all. You should try having the Hydrabadi ones they serve on Verranam road.
-Yes! I suppose you prefer having food of the road. That's the only taste a donkey like you would like.
-Yes! Only a donkey like you could possibly understand what a donkey like me likes.
Lakshmi was stung by this conversation. She turned round and asked Shiva.
-Shiva! Tell me. Is there nothing at all you like in my cooking. Are none of the dishes good.
-No mom! One of the dishes is good.
-What is it?
-The hot water that you pour into my glass.

Callously Shiva laughed.
Leela bowed her head and refused to look at Shiva or Lakshmi.

Tears sprang to Lakshmi's eyes, but she didn't know why.

Lakshmi kept wondering about it more and more, till one day her husband took her aside and told her.
-Don't worry. Your cooking is fine. It's just that he is at an age, when he wants more attention from everyone. He thinks he can get it by criticizing your cooking. But the boor doesn't know how much he hurts you. Don't worry about it, and don't take him seriously.

Lakshmi thought about it for a long time, and at the end of it came up with two curses, she would have gladly bestowed on Shiva, if her hand hadn't been stayed by the fact that he, was her son.
1. She devoutly wished Shiva would get a job in some far away city, and that having eaten the filthy food of a million restaurants, would finally come back to her food, and eat what she had lovingly prepared.
2. She wished that he got a wife who hardly knew how to cook.

Time passed.

Her Shiva got a job in the same city they lived in, but with his now spread wings, hardly ate at home. He went about happy in his own ways, and taunting Lakshmi when he occasionally came home for dinner.

Time passed.

And then it was time he got married. Lakshmi spent the better part of three months, looking for a girl, who would love her little Shiva. But try as she would, Shiva rejected all her choices.
-No mom! Check her out. She has a face like a horse
-But Shiva, then whom do you prefer. You have rejected all girls till now.
-I don't know mom! She looks sick.

So it went on, day after day after day. Till she finally found Revathi.

Shiva liked Revathi the minute he saw her photograph. So they went to Revathi's house.

Lakshmi had asked Revathi only one question.
-Do you know how to cook well.
-I'll manage
So said Revathi.

Lakshmi thought that well, if all else goes wrong, I like her confidence. She consented, and Shiva happily married Revathi.

Time passed.

Her Shiva was now living with Revathi, in a flat, the other side of town. He seemed happy, but he hardly ever came home nowadays
Sometimes Lakshmi missed her happy boy, who used to come and eat from her hands. She didn't know if she was jealous of Revathi, but
nothing could seem to remove the pangs of loneliness that she felt.

She decided to visit Shiva.

-Come in mother. This is a great and truly wonderful surprise. Revathi, look who's come
-Hello ma! It's been such a long time since you visited us. You are staying for lunch aren't you. Why didn't you let us know you were coming. I would have prepared something fabulous for you.
-Of course, she is staying for lunch Revathi. She's come after such a long time.
-Just a second ma, I have some aloo curry frying, let me just check on it.

Revathi ran off, and Shiva continue to pursue his paper. After sometime Lakshmi wandered over to help Revathi in the kitchen.
-No ma! You relax today. Besides you'll only make me feel nervous. Why don't you watch television.

So Lakshmi sat there, and watched the gyrations of the actors on television. Sun, Star, Zee...

Finally it was time for lunch.

Lunch was horrible. Forget the fact that the aloo was uncooked. The rasam, had no flavour, the sambar was so sour it tasted like
tamarind juice. Revathi was appologetic.
-Sorry ma! Lunch today was just terrible.
-It's ok.
-I was so tense, I put in all the tamarind into the sambar, instead of the rasam
-It's ok.
-And then I was so tense, I pulled the aloo out of the cooker rather early.
-It's ok.
-Plus the rice isn't well done.
-It's ok
But Shiva had a different opinion.
-Yaar! It's not so bad. Aloo may be bad, but it's nicely spicy.
-Don't try and ice me over Shiva. I know it's bad.
-But it's pretty good. What do you say mom.
-It's ok.
-Mom is just being nice to me, Shiva. Can't you see that....

Lakshmi was sitting there quietly. She couldn't believe that Shiva was actually enjoying this meal. She was just thinking about Shiva's
compliments over and over, when the phone rang. Revathi picked it up.

-Hello mumee! How are you.
-Yes! Fine. Amma has come to visit us today.
-We are having lunch
-Yes, yes! I'll convey your namaskarams to her.
-Yes. Shiva is also here. No office today.
-What are we having. Hmmmm.. Aloo curry, sambar, rasam and rice.
-No mom. It's pretty bad. My aloo came completely undone. and I put all the tamarind into the sambar.
-Yes! I suppose so.
-But, mumee, can you write out all the recipes for me when you come next time. I seem to keep forgetting.
-How much coffee powder do I need to put to make coffee for three people.
-Yes, yes, I am noting it down....

Shiva looked up from his food.
-Great food isn't it mom.

Tears sprang to Lakshmi's eyes, but she didn't know why.

Time passed.

It was a month or more when Shiva finally decided to visit his mother.

He came home one Saturday morning, right after breakfast.

-Hello Shiva. Where is Revathi.
-She's meeting some friends of hers, so I thought I'd come home
-Oh! Come in, come in. Dad's gone to the market, to get brinjal.
-Brinjal. Ok!

Shiva's unenthusiastic voice pained Lakshmi. She remembered how a long time ago, he had loved brinjal, and couldn't have enough of it.

-Hello Shiva. When did you come.
-Hi dad! Came just a half an hour back.
-Oh great! I just went to the market to get brinjal. You're staying for lunch right.
-Yes Dad.
-Lakshmi, here take this brinjal and make him his favourite brinjal sambar.

Lakshmi took the brinjal and made the sambar. She ground the masala, and then the tamarind. She picked some corriander leaves from her garden.
She then boiled some water, and carefully mixed the sambar powder into it, making sure that it had just the right amount of salt, and spice.
She prepared lunch with a devotion, that came from years of practice, and with a despair that came from years of abuse.
When it was all over, she took the lunch to the table and set it there.

She served her husband and Shiva, as they talked about Shiva's work at her dining table.

-So how's work! Heard you are spending quite some time at the office now.
-Yes dad! It's tight.

Lakshmi watched tensely as Shiva put the food to his mouth. She waited for his acerbic comment.

-By the way. Subramaniam's daughter is getting married. She was in college with you right.
-Yes! Rather a bad looking girl.
-But she's changed now. Looks amazing. She is getting married to China. Lucky him

Lakshmi watched as Shiva, ate his food. He wasn't eagerly eating it, there was a hesitancy in his action. But he hadn't taunted her till now.
At that moment Lakshmi wanted her Shiva to be the arrogant boy he was before. Not to know dissapointment, to be content in his own lair, and to
be naive. To seek out his friends. She felt a motherly impulse to stroke his hair, and ask him for his comment. It didn't matter if it was acerbic,
good or bad. This was her Shiva, eating at her table, and she wanted him just the way he was. To not know of any of the discomfort.
She waited anxiously for his comment as father and son, talked and ate, but still no comment from Shiva.
Her heart seemed to be beating faster and faster, every moment that Shiva remained quiet.

Finally he spoke.

-Mom! Excellent food.

Tears sprang to Lakshmi's eyes, but she didn't know why.







1 Comments:

At 11:03 PM, Blogger harry said...

hey i do not undersand the story..why does he change...
the character fits in very loosely..i dont understand the char: of shiva?

 

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