Mithila was excited. She had pulled out her best linen and decorated the house with all her beautiful possessions, as artistically as she could. Her potted plants were tastefully placed in nooks and corners. The guest room looked, oh so inviting, as it was tastefully decorated in shades of blue and green.
She looked in the mirror, arranged her salwar and kameez, draped her dupatta one way and draped it again, pulling one end over her head. She straightened her bindi and puckered her lips, the nude lipstick suited her well. Yet, her nervousness brimmed over.
The shrewd eyes entered the house before the rest of the body. The silver hair neatly knotted in a bun and the silk saree had every pleat in place. The pallu was perfectly pleated and pinned to the shoulder, as was the sarcastic smile under the beady, black eyes. The tall persona belied the height of 4 feet nothing.
“Ah there you are… I was expecting you at the railway station! Surely you knew the arrival time of the Delhi express!”
“Yes, of course! We have been looking forward to this moment! Sandeep said he would go straight from the office, while I could get some work done at home,” Mithila mumbled as she bent down to touch the woman’s feet, seeking her blessings. Grudgingly given!
“This way Maaji, this is your room… do you like it?”
“Hmmm, you know, I hate blue and green! But never mind, I will make do.”
Tears pricked her eyes, but she blinked them away. “You can freshen up Maaji, while I lay the table for dinner. What would you like to drink?” “I don’t drink anything before meals, did no one tell you that?” came the crisp reply.
By this time, the young lady was a mass of nerves and she rushed to the kitchen, doing her best to keep her mind in the present, while she focused on the important affair of serving dinner. She had made the matriarch’s favourite ‘Aloo- puri’, ‘Pindi chana’, ‘Paneer makhni’ along with her recently acquired skill of Thai salad. There was some aromatically smelling halwa to be served as dessert waiting on the console. She lit a few candles to add to the warm, inviting, and beautiful ambience, the air rich with heavenly aromas.
The guest was seated at the head of the table with the couple on either side. The mood was somber. Only the clinking of the cutlery was punctuating the silence. It was getting on Mithila’s nerves. The delicious dishes drew appreciative responses only from Sandeep. He blew a kiss to her as he filled his plate with second helpings. Though the elderly lady did the same, she let her belching express her enjoyment. Not a word escaped those stern lips, while the tongue was busy aiding the molars in mastication.
Plied with generous helpings of delicious ‘halwa’; dripping with the richness of ‘shudh desi ghee’, sprinkled with finely chopped almonds, cashews, and pistachios, topped with the delicate flavours of cardamom were sending people to food Heaven. The proud husband said, “I could kiss your hands forever, for this most delectable meal, ever!” As the wife smiled shyly, her large eyes sparkled with love and untold emotions.
While the table was being cleared, the elderly lady proceeded to the drawing room, observing each and everything. Picking up a curio here and taking stock of the cushions and carpet there. Mithila came in inquiring, “What can I get for you, now?” “Nothing! I eat light meals at night, and you served me such a rich dinner. I just hope I don’t have an upset stomach!”
The tears started trickling then … she ran from the room. Sandeep came in, held his mother’s hand and said, “No one has ever given you such care as Mithila has. No one cares about your habit of being rude and ungrateful. I have not heard even one word of appreciation since you arrived. Do you know how much efforts she has made for your visit, to make you comfortable and happy? With this attitude, you are not welcome in our house. Tomorrow morning there is a flight at 8:00 AM, I am buying the ticket right now.”
The wrinkled old woman, who had lived a lifetime being prim and proper, not allowing anyone to sit on her head, couldn’t understand how she was always treated as an unwanted guest.
Photo by Alexandra Marta on Unsplash
