Ammani's Challenge - 1 CURRY

Take 1 – CRISIS

Anita sniffed and banged her fist on the dining table. She stared in anger and frustration at the print outs spread on the table with mounds of vegetables…

It was bad enough that she scarcely knew any cooking. Now she was expected to cook recipes he had downloaded from Google… curries whose names she had not even heard… Now Aakakkrakaya and Sanaga Pappu curry sounded so formidable. So did Bachala Koora, Ala Badun, Gova Mallung and Bonchi… She did not know yet that translated into Indian terms these were but day to day dishes her mother made.

Pity I love him so much that I am ready to traumatize myself… His parents had better approve of me, she thought mutinously… She was not one for currying favours, but he was insistent that they woo his parents, so that their living together could be legalized into holy matrimony… with their blessings!

With a palpitating heart she set about with the curries.

Take 2 - PHONIES

Give one of that, that, that and that! She said pointing to the 1 rupee sachets of detergents… Why don’t you take 4 pieces of one instead of … She shook her head frantically and I shrugged before handing her the 4 different sachets. Customer is the king…or queen… even if she is a chit of a maid servant.

She is a regular at my shop. I know she works for those software couple in that two bedroom apartment in Gangotri Block. She is from their native village and her knowledge of Hindi is minimal. No wonder, for she is not allowed to mingle with people in the apartments, she confided to me. We had developed a rapport since we were from the same state.

She came two days later. She wanted onion and potatoes. As I handed her the covers, I saw it… a purplish brown weal stretching from her elbow to her wrist. What happened? I asked. My mistake, she said woodenly. I spilled curry on Sir’s white T shirt when I was serving them…Madam was very angry…and beat me… Her eyes brimmed over. She wiped off the tears with the back of her hand and sniffed.

You know, she said pointing to the chain of small sachets of detergents. None of these soaps work… They just tell lies on the TV.