(HIMYM - appa&amma's story)
This Sunday for our Easter special breakfast, it was me who made the 'Palappams' from scratch (Okay, so the chicken stew was all Amma's work, but I am telling you, that anybody can make!) Now, about my palappams, they came out quite decently for an amateur like myself and Appa did a good job of praising me lavishly on a full stomach, sitting in front of his emptied plate. I know he did that to just to inspire me to get involved in the kitchen-front more often (thanks to my mother, who always gives these biased reports of 'me and Kitchen' much like that Zyed Khan's 'temple/library scene' in Mein Hoon Na.)
Now, Amma being a rather hard one to please or get appreciation from, it was always better to take a direct aporoach regarding these matters.
"So Amma, you didn't like them?"
No response.
Pause. "Amma?"
"Do you know how old you are?"
("Yep I do..but I am sure you are not interested in my answer, so how about you simply get to the point? huh..")
"If your Father's Mother was alive today.." she resumed "she would have told you how she managed her 5 kids, the household and all the labourers at your age."
"Hmm..." (so no compliments today!)
Amma continued, this time looking at Appa "You are the one, spoiling these brats!" pointing at me and Babes.
He just gave his guilty-but-I-thought-I-was-helping-your-cause look.
"But you got married when you were 24, no? So its not like you were some superwomen at my age either, you were also simply fooling around till then no?." I retorted.
("Hah! Tit for tat, yeah!")
"Are you even listening? I am talking about your total incapacity to........."
"Mmhnhhrem.." Appa interrupted, clearing his throat ".....And she was the most beautiful 24 year old bride too, your mother!" slowly turning from me to looking in Amma's direction
(Ahaa.. trying to win back her confidence in response to her 'you-are-the-one spoiling...-attack', Appa you clever you!)
Amma turned her head downward facing the plate.
(What was that expression, was she was smiling now?...)
Inspired by Amma's smile I guess and her withdrawal from the war of words, Appa, again looking in my direction said
"Kids, in the fall of 1984 ..."
(WAIT WHAT!) (just kidding!)
He didn't say that, this is what he said instead, "Do you know what she was wearing the day when I first met her?"
"Hmm..?"
"A white shirt with red polka dots... and a navy blue bell-bottom pants!"
"Hmm...!" (Yup, I could imagine Amma like that, in an 80's black and white frame, sporting her old extra huge sun-shades, a souvenir she still kept from her being brought up in Bombay days.)
"And do you know what that first thought was when I saw her?"
"What?..."
"No way! Bobby's cute younger sister... coming in my direction!"
"Yeah... right!"
"To my beautiful wife and thirty years of our marriage!" He said raising his coffee mug.
"30 years?" " But you guys are like just completing 29 years this December no?" I asked Amma
Before she could reply Appa cut in with " yeah 30, if you count that 1 year of romancing before marriage!"
"Huh!"
("Oh I see, and look at that, Appa making a sly expression!.. and Amma...blushing, was she?.. hiding her face in the plate....? no..couldn't be..!" "Nope! Thats not blushing that's definitely something else, Oh God..no, Wait! Is she about to bring out all my 'palappams'! but they weren't thaaat bad.... ?)
It wasn't a case of bad palappams, thank God for that, apparently she was just cracking up,
"Do you really think that if I'd talked to this man even once before the marriage, I would'av agreed to it?" she concluded, spoiling everything, as usual.
Btw,
HAPPY EASTER everyone! :-)
This Sunday for our Easter special breakfast, it was me who made the 'Palappams' from scratch (Okay, so the chicken stew was all Amma's work, but I am telling you, that anybody can make!) Now, about my palappams, they came out quite decently for an amateur like myself and Appa did a good job of praising me lavishly on a full stomach, sitting in front of his emptied plate. I know he did that to just to inspire me to get involved in the kitchen-front more often (thanks to my mother, who always gives these biased reports of 'me and Kitchen' much like that Zyed Khan's 'temple/library scene' in Mein Hoon Na.)
Now, Amma being a rather hard one to please or get appreciation from, it was always better to take a direct aporoach regarding these matters.
"So Amma, you didn't like them?"
No response.
Pause. "Amma?"
"Do you know how old you are?"
("Yep I do..but I am sure you are not interested in my answer, so how about you simply get to the point? huh..")
"If your Father's Mother was alive today.." she resumed "she would have told you how she managed her 5 kids, the household and all the labourers at your age."
"Hmm..." (so no compliments today!)
Amma continued, this time looking at Appa "You are the one, spoiling these brats!" pointing at me and Babes.
He just gave his guilty-but-I-thought-I-was-helping-your-cause look.
"But you got married when you were 24, no? So its not like you were some superwomen at my age either, you were also simply fooling around till then no?." I retorted.
("Hah! Tit for tat, yeah!")
"Are you even listening? I am talking about your total incapacity to........."
"Mmhnhhrem.." Appa interrupted, clearing his throat ".....And she was the most beautiful 24 year old bride too, your mother!" slowly turning from me to looking in Amma's direction
(Ahaa.. trying to win back her confidence in response to her 'you-are-the-one spoiling...-attack', Appa you clever you!)
Amma turned her head downward facing the plate.
(What was that expression, was she was smiling now?...)
Inspired by Amma's smile I guess and her withdrawal from the war of words, Appa, again looking in my direction said
"Kids, in the fall of 1984 ..."
(WAIT WHAT!) (just kidding!)
He didn't say that, this is what he said instead, "Do you know what she was wearing the day when I first met her?"
"Hmm..?"
"A white shirt with red polka dots... and a navy blue bell-bottom pants!"
"Hmm...!" (Yup, I could imagine Amma like that, in an 80's black and white frame, sporting her old extra huge sun-shades, a souvenir she still kept from her being brought up in Bombay days.)
"And do you know what that first thought was when I saw her?"
"What?..."
"No way! Bobby's cute younger sister... coming in my direction!"
"Yeah... right!"
"To my beautiful wife and thirty years of our marriage!" He said raising his coffee mug.
"30 years?" " But you guys are like just completing 29 years this December no?" I asked Amma
Before she could reply Appa cut in with " yeah 30, if you count that 1 year of romancing before marriage!"
"Huh!"
("Oh I see, and look at that, Appa making a sly expression!.. and Amma...blushing, was she?.. hiding her face in the plate....? no..couldn't be..!" "Nope! Thats not blushing that's definitely something else, Oh God..no, Wait! Is she about to bring out all my 'palappams'! but they weren't thaaat bad.... ?)
It wasn't a case of bad palappams, thank God for that, apparently she was just cracking up,
"Do you really think that if I'd talked to this man even once before the marriage, I would'av agreed to it?" she concluded, spoiling everything, as usual.
Btw,
HAPPY EASTER everyone! :-)
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