Theplas \/ \/ \/ \/
Chundo- sweeeeeet and tangy mango pickle
Achar = pickle, but Indian pickles are with much more oomph and aamph and spices and flavour and colour. Mango pickle shown here \/\/\/\/. The first time I found out what Americans had in the name of "pickle" !!!! My GAWD!!! I went like this....
And then a bit like this...
**psst...Americans reading this....don't get offended ...I am just used to colourful and flavourful pickles. Also...how does that pickle of yours taste?????? #JustCurious
Achar is also called as Athanu in Gujarati.
And this is the mix vegetable pickle that i just love love love and looooooove
Actually chundo is a type of pickle only, but THAT KID HAS GOT HIS OWN IDENTITY so nobody calls it Achar.
Bolded words are in Hindi.
Italics words are in Sanskrit.
Hehehe..no
Italics words are the English translation of those Hindi words.
Enjoy!
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RAGINI'S POV
Somebody was shaking me. My legs to be precise.
"Hmmmm?" I hummed while still not being fully awake.
"Uth jaa. Naw baj gaye!"(Wake up . It is 9 o'clock!) I heard a warm , familiar voice tell me.
I jolted my eyes open!
IT WAS ALREADY 9 O'CLOCK?
HOW DID I SLEEP IN?
WHY DID I NOT HEAR MY ALARM?
IT IS ALREADY NINE. OH. CLOCK!
I DID NOT GO AND VISIT NAOMI!
OH NO, NO ,NOOOOOOOOO
I AM ALREADY LATE FOR OFFICE TOOO AND I ........................
I stopped my crazy, hyper thoughts and looked around.
Hey! This is not my London apartment! This looks like my old room back in Ahmedabad !
How did I get here?
I saw the bedroom door ajar and from there my mom peeped in and said, "Hansh! Uth gai! Kab se utha rahi thi aapko ! Sote nai ho kya London mein?" (Finally you are awake ! I have been trying to wake you up since so long! Don't you sleep in London?)
"MAAAAAAAAAAAA" I screamed as I scooted out of bed and ran to hug her.
She was shocked to see me so hyper . She just stood still while I hugged her from the side and kissed her forehead. I started rocking her from side to side while she held me .
"Haan , bas. Jaao ab brush karne."(Yeah, okay. No go and brush.) She said laughing as I unhugged her and started rambling,
"Maa, mujhe do minute ke liye toh dhayn hi nai aaya k main India wapis aa gai hun...meko laga main late ho gai, ab toh Naomi se bhi nai mil paai and office mein bhi late ho gai , aur meko laga ki maine bhi alarm nai suna ki kyaaaaaaaaa? Baut barson baad main 9 o'clock tak soh gai pata hai? Aur pata hai ...."
(Maa, for the first 2 minutes I did not comprehend that I was back in India. I thought I am late, now I could not even go and meet Naomi and I am also late for office, and I thought that I did not even hear the alarm or whaaaaaat? After centuries have I slept till 9 o'clock, you know? And do you know......)
"Bas, bas bas, shaaaaaaaaaaant"(Okay, okay, okay, calm doooooooown) My mom placing her hand on my shoulder and continued,
"Uthte se hi chi chi chi karna chalu kar diya chidiya ki tarah. Saans to le lo. Jaao , brush kar aao, nashta bhi taiyaar ho gaya hai."
(You just woke up and started chirping like a bird. At least take a breath in between! Go, go and brush your teeth, even the breakfast is ready!)
I just hugged my mom tighter, gave her a kiss and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth.
I came out to the amazing smell of the theplas being made.
I peeked into the kitchen to see my mom making them hot - hot right off the pan. I went in and drank some water and then took the plate of theplas that my mom handed me and sat in the small table we had in the kitchen.
"Chunda store room mein hai." (The chundo is in the store room.) Mom informed me.
"Chundo nai chahiye. Achar kidhar hai?"(I don't want the chundo , where is the pickle?) I told her.
She went to the fridge and got out the bottle of pickle. She placed it on my table and pulling my ear she said, "Chatoriiiii" , which meant a lover of eating generally spicy or flavourful things.
I started eating the delicious theplas with the achar, and gosh it felt like heaven in my mouth. The warm warm, soft soft theplas with the flavourful and tangy achar...AHAHAHAAAA...it had been such a loooooong time since I ate my mom's food.
"Aapne kha liya?" (Did you eat?) I asked my Ma who had started prepping for lunch.
"Kab kaaa kha liya. Itni der se utha rahi thi main aapko, badmein mujhe toh bhuk lag gai, toh kha liya maine!"(Since such a long time. I had been trying to wake you up since so long, I became hungry so I ate!) she informed me as she went about making the dal(lentils in gravy).
I saw her work about in the kitchen while I ate on the small table . This was the place where I studied when my mom would be working in the kitchen. When I was in school and I would come back home in the afternoon, Ma and I would have lunch and then we would take a nap. Then in the early evening, we would sit in my room and she would help me with my studies. And then when it would be about 6 pm or so, we would shift in the kitchen , after having some snacks, and then she would go about doing her work in the kitchen and I would sit on this very table and I would continue studying, while my mom guided me whilst cooking. I would normally do my homework here , and then whatever I had learnt, my mom would make me say that by heart, without me looking in the book. I would keep on saying answers after answers to the questions she would ask me from the book, that she would keep just beside her on the kitchen counter while she went about making dinner. How she managed teaching me and making sure my homework was done and I was ready for the tests and exams and made sure I was always on time at school and football practices, doctor's appointment, etc. while my father just went about doing nothing much for me or her, except giving us the money for my fees and books and clothes; is something I cannot wrap my head around.
"Mast hai Ma. Ekdum mast."(It is awesome Ma, very awesome!) I said as I finished off the last bite of my theplas.
"Aur kuch dun kya? Ek aur bana dun, huh? Ya fir dudh aur chocos khaegi? Ya, khakhara dun ? Pada hai."(Should I give something else too? Should I make one more? Or else , will you eat milk with Chocos? Or , should I give you a khakhara? We have it!) My mom said looking at my empty plate.
I shook my head indicating a no.
"Kya nai? Dekha bhi hai khud ko? Kya kuch khate nai ho kya aap London mein, huh? Yeh kya hai?" (What no? Have you even seen yourself? Don't you eat anything in London, huh? What is this?) she asked me wrapping her fingers around the upper part of my hand and showing it to me, showing how thin they were.
I wasn't that thin.
I was okayish, but healthy still.
I was perfectly fit when I went to London for the first time, but I kind of lost weight after the incident.
"Kya yeh kya hai? Thik hi hun main! Maine 2 theple kha liye hain, pet bhar gaya hai mera. Aap apne aap ko dekho na, hadde toh aap ho!"(What do you mean by what is this? I am perfectly fine. I have eaten 2 theplas, so my stomach is full. You look at yourself na, see how thin you have become!)
"Main toh ekdum fit hi hun han, tu rukhi-sukhi ho gai hai!"(I am perfectly fit, you have become all dried up and thin!)
"Main bhi thiiiiiik hi hun, han!"(I am also fiiiiiiiiiiiiine, okay!) I argued back.
"Shut up!" My mom playfully ordered while mixing the dal.
"Aeee...you shut up! " I said while cleaning my plate.
I cleaned my plate and turned around to see my mom smiling at me.
"What?" I asked. Why was she looking at me like that.
"Aadat ho gai haina?"(You are habituated na?) My mom asked me.
"Kisksi?"(To what?) I asked.
"Plate saaf kar ke rakhneki."(To clean the plate yourself.) She said as I placed the plate in the plate stand inside the cupboard.
I realized what she meant. Here, back home, we had a servant who would come to clean the house and clean the dishes and utensils too.
Before going to London, no, I did not do that.
Back in London, I did that by myself now.
So, yes, I was now habituated.
"Ha."(Yes.) I said nodding to her.
She kept on looking at me, smiling.
"Kyaaaa?"(Whaaaat?) I asked not knowing why she was just...looking at me...smiling.
"Aap thik hona? Khush hona udhar?"(You are okay na? You are happy there?) She asked me .
Yes.
I was very happy in London.
Very satisfied too.
Yes, it was very hectic. And tiring.
But gosh, all those things that I got to experience there! From so many different cultures and cuisines to world-class studies, to meeting so many new and amazing people, and getting the chance to jump into the field I would probably spend my entire life in, I got the chance to do it aaaaaaall in London.
"Haan. Bilkul Ma. " (Yes, ofcourse Ma.) I said reassuring her.
"Aap?"(You?) I asked her .
"Haan. Ab dhire dhire , thoda thoda karke, aisa lag raha hai ki, main.........."("Yes. Now, slowly slowly, I am feeling like I am ....") she said trying to come up with the right words.
"Empowered?" I asked. I knew how she was feeling.
"Haaaaaaan...empowered! Empowered feel karti hun. K main bhi kuch hun!"("Yes! Empowered! Now I feel empowered. Like I am also something.") she said happily like a little girl, patting her chest.
"Aap ho , Ma. Aap bhi kuch ho. Aap bahut important ho hi!!"("You are , Ma. You are somebody. You are somebody very important!") I said hugging her.
"Ragini, bura mat maan na hun, par...woh haina, tujhe bada karne mein mujhe bahut maza aaya, aaj tujhe dekh ke myujhe baut garv hota hai, tune hamesha mujhe khushi hi di hai, par...kahin...mujhe lagta tha ki...."
"Ragini, do not feel bad about this, but...what it is..is that ...growing you up had been a delight for me, today when I see you I feel very proud, you always brought me happiness, but...somewhere I felt like..." she said, again trying to bring out the right words from her mouth.
I knew what she wanted to say. I knew how she had felt all the years she spent behind me , pushing me to reach the top.
My mom had spent her entire life behind me. No enjoyment, no fun, nothing. My dad would go on his tours and travels for his work or leisure, but my mom and I stayed back. I had exams almost every other month, and when I did not have exams, I had football matches.
"Ki aapka kuch vajud nai hai. Ki mere piche saari zindagi nikaal di aapne, leking apki khud ki zindagi ka kya? Ki aane khud itni padhai likhai ki, issliye taki aap ghar pebaith ke mere piche mahenat karo? Aapki mahenat ka kya, nai?" I asked her.
("That you don't have your own existence. That you have spent your entire live developing my life, but what about yours? That you yourself studied so well and so hard, only to sit at home to teach me things? What about your hard-work?, right?") I asked her.
She nodded slowly, looking on the floor. I was still holding her. I looked at her face. Her beautiful, beautiful face. She is almost 47 now, but my gosh, she could still give those silicon dolls on TV a run for their money easily, without putting up any makeup.
And gosh, she is so intelligent!And hard-working.
Along with learning about computers and their how-to, my Mom had now started doing a work-from-home internship online. She had asked me a two months back , that now that she knew how to work around on the computer a bit, she would like to do some small job related to it. So I had suggested this one site to her, where she could fine work-from-home internships that would be a month long or two months long. And then we made a resume together and then she applied to a couple of companies. One company called back and they had a telephonic interview with my mother, which she passed and then they selected her. She now works 2 hours everyday, from 10 am, when she makes reports on the topics that the company asks her to. It was a two months long internship. She was required to send in 3 reports every week. But being the dedicated woman she is, she sends in 7 reports every week, one report each day.
And that is why I knew how she felt empowered.
Her work was being displayed on the company's site, she was almost finishing up a two months internship in about a month. She was being paid for her own work, though the amount was little, it was her own hard earned money.
In the evenings, she would go to her computer classes where she was in the final sessions to complete her course, and then she would be advancing in the "Advanced" level, where she had decided to pursue web designing and basic graphic design .
She had even learnt the basics of Photoshop.
Photoshop! Even I had no idea how to work my way around that thing. But she did!
And I was extremely proud of her.
"Ma," I said as she looked at me, " better late than never."
"Bas, yehiii hai. Yehi dialogue tera yaad aata hai dimag mein hamesha, jab bhi main aisa sochti hun."(Just, just this dialogue of yours comes to my mind always, whenever I think about these things.) She said laughing.
I laughed with her.
I always said this to her, whenever she would be beating herself up over some time limit she might have been late for, like the time when I had to give exams for admission in colleges in England. My mom did not know much about the method, about the dos and the don'ts of how and when I should give the exam for admission to foreign university , and so she went to this Foreign Education Consultancy, and the idiot lady over there gave her the wrong details, due to which I was almost late for the last set of exams that were going to be taken that year, the next were going to be taken from the next year onwards.
Had my mother not gone to another agency just to get a second opinion, I would have missed out a year , and would have to wait for a year to give the exams again and then apply for admissions.
When my mom would start saying things like, "I wish I had known!" or "What would have happened if we had missed out the last exam?" , I would always say, "Better late than never" ot "It is what it is" because I had accepted the fact that what happened had happened and no amount of remorse over it could change it. And , in the end, I did give those exams and I did end up getting admission in Imperial, so it was all well.
And that is why I said it right now, because I knew what happened had happened. But the good thing is that even after so many years, when most people would not try to do new things, she joined classes to learn about technology and she is doing an internship.
She is my Hero.
She is my inspiration.
"Jaa, nahane jaa. Das bajne aaye, mujhe reports banane baithna hai!"(Go, go and take a bath. It is almost 10 o'clock now, I have to start making my reports.) She said as she pushed me gently.
"Kuch kaam karana hai?"(Do you want me to do any work?) I asked her.
"Nai , khana ban gaya hai. Sirf roti hi baaki hai, woh khane se pehle bana dungi."(No , lunch is ready. I just have to make Rotis, which I will make before we sit for lunch. Go now.) She said.
"Thik hai!"(Okay!) I said as I went to my room and opened my suitcase to take out my clothes.
I took out my T-shirt and my pyjamas and went to take a bath.
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DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUN!!!
Next chapter is up!
This was kinda a filler chapter. I kind of wanted to show Ragini and her Mother's relationship, the warmth and love they share.
Did you like it??
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Also, to all those who shared this book, in response to my last author's note, thank you thank you thank you sooo sooo much. I shared this book with a couple of Wattpaders over the last couple of days and they replied so positively! Thank you so much to all for reading this book, commenting on it, and voting on it.
And those who are reading but not voting or commenting, *sigh* I understand you don't know how to vote. See, see that star button on the right hand side top, or at the bottom of the chapter? Yeaaaaaaaaah, you click it and it will turn orange. THAT is how you vote!
I thought why are the reads increasing, but the not the number of votes, and I realized, maybe they don't know ow to press the star button. Here, I told you. NOW GO AND VOTE!
To all those always voting and commenting, THAAAAAAAAAAAANK YOU . HERE , HAVE SOME SWEETS AND DESSERTS MADE BY RAGINI .......HOW MUCH YOU LIKE, TAKE AND EAT IT. ENJOY!
All the love,
~Inolas.