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As Ammini walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen in her new home in Kottarakara, she saw her mother-in-law and her husband Ramchandra's younger sister Subhadra already busy making the morning tea and breakfast. For a minute her nervous system went into the state of waiting to be chided or reprimanded. After all, old habits die hard and she had just married Ramchandra a few days ago, at Guruvayoor. In was 1963 and Ammini had married Ramchandra while her brother had married Ramchandra's sister Shreedevi in an exchange marriage in Guruvayoor. Before that day, being an unmarried 28-year-old spinster in her village and in her home had been a daily struggle.
Since the day of her arrival in her new home with her husband, she had heard laughs, giggles, jokes and humming of prayer songs. She felt quite lost in this world that was not what she had been used to. She was mostly used to silence and hard work. Sure, this was also a home in a village like hers, so everyone was busy with something or the other, but there seemed to be no burden on anyone's shoulders. Even her husband Ramchandra who was the breadwinner of the family didn't seem to carry any extra luggage. He still was responsible for so many people, the home and the land, but he had mastered the art of living light, she realised.
Her presence was felt quickly in the kitchen by Devaki Devi, her mother-in-law. Devaki Devi gestured for Ammini to enter and sit with her while she peeled several vegetables. When Ammini sat down, Subhadra asked Ammini if she wanted a hot cup of tea. Ammini started to rise off the ground to pour herself the cup, but was quickly pulled down by Devaki Devi. Subhadra poured the tea and the three women sat chatting. Her in-laws were keen on knowing everything about Ammini as well as giving Ammini all the information about their lives and their planning for the days and weeks to come.
Soon, they would go to Bombay as Ramchandra had to go back to his post at the Military grounds in Colaba. He was a soldier in the Indian Army. They would all go. It was decided that Devaki Devi and Subhadra would join Ramchandra & Ammini. Ramchandra's younger brother Achuttan had already returned to college shortly after the wedding. Today Ramchandra would go to the railway station to buy their tickets.
As the morning passed, Ammini got busy helping in the house. She was assigned to cook the main dishes for lunch as everyone was curious to taste the food made by her. The night before they had already tasted some recipes and so they craved to discover what new taste they would be served today. Ammini found it funny. She'd loved tasting what her mother-in-law had made and the family seemed to love tasting her food. Variety is the spice of life after all, she realised.
As they all sat on the floor crossed legged to eat, Ammini stood to serve the dishes she'd prepared. There was a dry, red spinach vegetable, green beans, rice and sambar (a mix of vegetables and toor dal with a strong hint of tamarind). Devaki Devi asked the women Ammini and Subhadra to put everything on the floor in front of them and asked the entire family including Ammini to sit around the big vessels that contained the food choices. She told Ammini there was no need for her to be exclusively serving and that the joy of eating in their family was to eat together. Devaki Devi served Ammini immediately after serving Ramchandra and she even added an extra ladle of vegetables in Ammini's plate and smiled at her. The two women looked at each other for a few seconds. Walls that had been formed around Ammini's heart were starting to crack in the face of such pure love. The family echoed their approval of all the food that had been cooked and Ammini ate till her heart and tummy felt full. Indeed, the food is delicious, she thought as sweat and tears mixed on her face in the humid and hot kitchen.
You can check out this website for delicious Malayali vegetarian dishes.
https://www.vegrecipesofindia.
Like this story? You can be sure to not miss any by
You can read the first three chapters here
The day they met
How my Daddy met my Mummy - Ramchandra & Ammini - The Chronicles of the Youngest Child
Read the second story of their wedding day here
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