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Mamma, better be on your guard today, warned my daughter Kirtana
before rushing off to college.
Be alert the whole of today , advised my husband even as he was
leaving for his Business School.
Aunty, don’t fall into anyone’s trap today, suggested my
neighbour’s son, Karthik.( I was his Godmother).
Thanks a ton for warning me, I said feeling touched at the
concern all the three showed towards me and went about my
chores.
Amma, what do you want me to prepare for
lunch , enquired my cook ,Shanta who was more a good person than
a good cook.
Why don’t you make something different today
for a change? I said.
Yes, amma, that’s a good idea .Do you want
Andhra ,Karnataka or Chennai food, she asked quite excited at
the thought of probably to experiment her culinary prowess on
us.
Whatever you are good at, I said stressing on
good.
Amma, please allow me to do everything by
myself today. Right from chopping vegetables etc. she insisted
and made her way to the kitchen.
Just then the phone rang and it was my friend
Sunitha .She wanted to know if she could drop in
“Most welcome, why don’t you join me for
lunch,” I invited her and she readily agreed.
Even as I hung up the phone ,it rang again,
“What’s for lunch mamma? Is there something that I like or shall
I have it in the college canteen ? Kirtana asked impatiently,(I
could sense she was ravenous).
I am sure you will like what Shanta is
preparing today. I can assure you the menu will certainly be
different ,I said.
Again the phone rang , it was my husband on
the line. He called to say he was bringing along a guest for
lunch .
“Try not to be late”, I said knowing his poor
sense of time.
It was one 'o' clock and my friend Sunitha
was the first to arrive followed by the other three.
Let’s have lunch straightaway .I can eat a
horse, I added not able to contain my hunger any longer having
worked up an appetite to relish everything Shanta made.
What lunch? Don’t expect us to eat again ,
all the four said in unison.
But , but, I thought you people were coming
……I stopped halfway noticing their subdued smiles .
What am I going to do with all the food
Shanta prepared! I said flabbergasted.
Why don’t you have a look at what she
prepared? Suggested my husband laughing.
I rushed into the kitchen and quickly opened
all the casseroles one by one. I was shocked to find all of them
empty except for the last one. There was a slip of paper on
which something was written in Tamil . Since I could not read
tamil , it made no sense . However the number written at the end
made but it was too late!
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