Mama Makes Rectangular Chapatis!

Rohini shares the agony of not being able to make round chapatis for her daughter and how the little girl is positive about it. A Different Truths exclusive.

Kitchen has always been a battleground for me. Somehow, I am not blessed with cooking skills but always had a wonderful support who could fill my tummy. But who knew that time shall take a 360° turn and one day, the girl who always handled war in the boardroom, shall one day face a war in the kitchen?

But who knew that time shall take a 360° turn and one day, the girl who always handled war in the boardroom, shall one day face a war in the kitchen?

My mom has always been my biggest support when it comes to cooking. Especially the day I came to know that soon my little bundle of joy shall be coming in our world, my mom has been with me, preparing my favourite dishes and I relishing these, as always. Even when my daughter was born till, she grew to an age of six years, my mother has been the biggest support in terms of preparing her tiffin, lunch, breakfast and what not.

But one day, my mother and father had to shift to another town due to some family reasons and I was left alone with my daughter.

The first question that my little one asked was, “Mama, who shall make chapatis for me?”

The first question that my little one asked was, “Mama, who shall make chapatis for me?”

I looked at her and she looked at me, it seemed as if an earthquake had occurred, I had no clue as to what to answer her, but with full confidence I told her, “I shall cook for you honey, don’t you worry and I shall make chapatis also.”

“But Mama, do you know how to cook?” she asked me with a puzzled look.

“I shall learn for you dear, you relax,” I told her, but only I knew what was going on within me.

I was confident about everything but very scared of making ‘chapati’.

I lay on my bed, my daughter was already in deep sleep, I closed my eyes and started to remember what my mom used to cook and how. Though I never took interest in cooking, but always heard her discussing recipes with my sisters over the phone. I was confident about everything but very scared of making ‘chapati’. Thankfully, vacations were going on and so I was not worried for her tiffin. I knew I would manage somehow. First day was horrible, I ended up asking for chapatis from my neighbour. That night I could not sleep. I thought, “If I can handle a team, make presentations, work in pressure, why can’t I make a chapati? Everyone in the world can make, then why can’t I?” I took this as a challenge.

Next day, I woke up early in the morning, opened YouTube and saw how to make. Atleast 10 times I tried to knead the dough and the 11th time I could knead it properly. I was so happy, turned around to see and found flour all over the kitchen. But I felt like a victorious queen. Now, the next step was making a chapati, a round one. By that time, my daughter was awake, and she was all ready to have her breakfast.

All other shapes were present, rectangular, oval, cylindrical, some did not even have shape, but I just couldn’t make a round one.“

Honey, you sit down, mama is going to make chapatis for you and then you can have it,” I sounded very confident and she was very happy. I kept making but I just couldn’t make a round one. All other shapes were present, rectangular, oval, cylindrical, some did not even have shape, but I just couldn’t make a round one. I sat on the floor and started to cry, my daughter came running to me and asked, “What happened Mama, why are you crying?”

“I tried a lot honey, but I just couldn’t make a round chapati for you. I am not a good mother,” and I kept weeping. She stood up, saw the whole mess in the kitchen, saw the chapatis and said, “Wow! Mama, you have made different shapes of chapati, Nani only made round ones, I will have the rectangular one. Please give me.”

I stopped crying and looked at her, she was standing with her plate and smiling, she could take out so much of positivity from the mess that I had done. I hugged her and said, “Thank you.”

It’s more than three months now, but I cannot make round chapatis still

It’s more than three months now, but I cannot make round chapatis still, and she keeps boasting to her friends that her mother can make different shapes of chapatis.

We adults loose hope so easily, but the children, they neither loose hope nor let us do that, rather they find positivity around them.

©Rohini KB Reddy

Photos from the Internet