Your aai and me never matched our 'patrika' before our marriage. I don't know how many of our गुण matched, but one thing surely matched, for good or worse - The love for food. Although, we have completely different tastes, food has made our bond stronger. Traditional maharashtrian food, probably vegeterian is what your aai drools over, while i am a carnivore and can devour anything with bones. But, our culinary differences aside, food has been at the crux of our relationship, before you came over. What started over a macdonald's burger at oberoi mall, got parent's nod with mutton pav at gomant kutir and kheema pohe at vagdevi and got more committed at tanmak thai. Our love brewed at the coffee at sonu's ccd, we shared moments while sharing a panipuri/dahipuri plate, it got spicier with a changu-mangu vada-misal. Our first fight was over a jaljeera, i had to butter her up with a ramkrishna pavbhaji, but our cold wars ended with an icecream. Family bonding increased with meals at Deepa, BBC or Aaple Samadhan. We ate when we were happy and we ate when we were sad. Our life was a buffet of emotions, like the spread at china gate.
I have already chronicled your love story with milk and how you were now having an affair with 'khimat' (the mushed up food). But, with our blood flowing in your veins, you had already started 'eyeing' up food on our plates. That grunting sound and that 'bhukkad' look you gave everytime anyone was eating, hastened our decision to give you solid food. You had already started tasting a little bit of food here and there, but the official 'ushtavan' had to be done.
6th October 2019. Asthami. Sunday. Aai had elaborate plans. Vagdevi was ready for the function. Mah-aaji had knee troubles, but she couldn't let go the chance of cooking your first meal. Priya mavshi and Sannah tai were already there. Shekhar mama and yogesh mama were going to feed you. We picked Swapna mavshi and sanveda tai on the way. Everyone had a vadapav in the car and immediately, the bhukkad in you started grunting. You had a pre-ushtavan of batatavada in the car itself.
Lunch was simple, veg, no onion-garlic. Varan-bhaat, tup, batata bhaaji, puranpoli. Cameras were set. A nice lunch in a silver plate adorned with rangoli. Shekhar mama said a shlok and वदनी कवळ. And finally, he fed you your official first घास. Irony is that your first morsel of food was fed by a strictly vegetarian man who never eats anything away from his home.
Yogesh mama was next and then everyone followed. You were being fed and your aai was getting satisfied. It was one tick in her bucket list out of the many things she wants to do with you in mind.
2 days later, it was another ushtavan at our home. It was dusshera. So the menu was same with puri-basundi as the sweet dish. You liked this as well. For you, anything is ok, lest it is food.
The next day was supposed to be a fish day, but the plans went awry due to rohini mavshi's absence. I made chicken the next day and thursday was your first date with chicken. Finally, Aaba's dream of feeding you a pomfret bore fruit on Friday. (Now it has become a weekly routine).
You love food, especially nonveg. You hate it when we stop to refill the spoon with more food. Your grunting sounds and that hungry stare is still there. A new sound akin to मिटक्या मारणे has been added. You have developed tastes. Like your father, you detest plain varan-bhaat. You need a bit of spice or tang. Your mavshis have gifted you a high chair,but as of now you don't like to sit on it for a meal.
I dont know what you will grow up to be. But, you will surely be a foodie. That is in your genes. Maybe, you will blame us if you become fat or maybe we will be jealous of you if you remain fit. We will have fights over who is going to have the last chicken lollypop. Not eating dinner was your father's way of showing anger. I hope that will not be the case with you. One day, both of us will cook a meal together for your mother and debate over who is a better cook.
Food brought your mother and me close and Food will make us a happy family.
I have already chronicled your love story with milk and how you were now having an affair with 'khimat' (the mushed up food). But, with our blood flowing in your veins, you had already started 'eyeing' up food on our plates. That grunting sound and that 'bhukkad' look you gave everytime anyone was eating, hastened our decision to give you solid food. You had already started tasting a little bit of food here and there, but the official 'ushtavan' had to be done.
6th October 2019. Asthami. Sunday. Aai had elaborate plans. Vagdevi was ready for the function. Mah-aaji had knee troubles, but she couldn't let go the chance of cooking your first meal. Priya mavshi and Sannah tai were already there. Shekhar mama and yogesh mama were going to feed you. We picked Swapna mavshi and sanveda tai on the way. Everyone had a vadapav in the car and immediately, the bhukkad in you started grunting. You had a pre-ushtavan of batatavada in the car itself.
Lunch was simple, veg, no onion-garlic. Varan-bhaat, tup, batata bhaaji, puranpoli. Cameras were set. A nice lunch in a silver plate adorned with rangoli. Shekhar mama said a shlok and वदनी कवळ. And finally, he fed you your official first घास. Irony is that your first morsel of food was fed by a strictly vegetarian man who never eats anything away from his home.
Yogesh mama was next and then everyone followed. You were being fed and your aai was getting satisfied. It was one tick in her bucket list out of the many things she wants to do with you in mind.
2 days later, it was another ushtavan at our home. It was dusshera. So the menu was same with puri-basundi as the sweet dish. You liked this as well. For you, anything is ok, lest it is food.
The next day was supposed to be a fish day, but the plans went awry due to rohini mavshi's absence. I made chicken the next day and thursday was your first date with chicken. Finally, Aaba's dream of feeding you a pomfret bore fruit on Friday. (Now it has become a weekly routine).
You love food, especially nonveg. You hate it when we stop to refill the spoon with more food. Your grunting sounds and that hungry stare is still there. A new sound akin to मिटक्या मारणे has been added. You have developed tastes. Like your father, you detest plain varan-bhaat. You need a bit of spice or tang. Your mavshis have gifted you a high chair,but as of now you don't like to sit on it for a meal.
I dont know what you will grow up to be. But, you will surely be a foodie. That is in your genes. Maybe, you will blame us if you become fat or maybe we will be jealous of you if you remain fit. We will have fights over who is going to have the last chicken lollypop. Not eating dinner was your father's way of showing anger. I hope that will not be the case with you. One day, both of us will cook a meal together for your mother and debate over who is a better cook.
Food brought your mother and me close and Food will make us a happy family.
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