“Darling I love your curry”

Buddhi Chaudhary 

It was a sunny day. The weather was very hot. Even though, wind was blowing, because of hot weather, its felt hot and unstable to work. My father was busy growing vegetables on our small farm behind a house. I was sitting on the log of the burnt tree and playing game on my sister’s Samsung mobile phone. Time to time, I would look at my father and ask something about vegetables that he was growing. Sometimes he would answer me happily but another time he would say that I disturb him. Then, I would keep quiet and began to play game again. 

My mother was washing clothes in front of the house near by the well. Because of hot weather, her whole body was sweating. Her clothes also were wetted. There were no options than washing clothes with hands since we were very poor. What we would grow today that we would eat tomorrow. That was our life style. 

After washing the clothes, my mother put all the clothes on the fence to be dried off. Without getting rest, my mother went inside the kitchen and started to cook dinner since me and my father was very hungry. Though the poor we are, my mother would cook very tasty foods and I love to eat the curries that my mother cooks.

After cooking finished, my mother brought burnt-curry in front of me and my father. The curry was not just burnt but also black as coal. I looked at my father and again to the curry and to my mother’s red, sweaty-face. I waited what would my father will say.

My father put all the curry on his plate and just ate as usual. Instead, he asked how my sister’s day was. He asked whether my mother washed his clothes or not. Alternative to answer his questions, I heard my mother was apologizing to him for his supper.

I will never forget his response to my mother’s apologizing. He said “Darling, I love your curry. It was very tasty, isn’t it my son? And he tried to smile nicely at my mother.

Later at night, I was reading books on the verandah lying upon the mat and my father was cleaning and checking his axes sitting beside me. Being an exam days, I had to read and understand lessons for the English paper another day. I tried hardly to concentrate my mind to the lessons but the evening incident would often disturb me. “Why my father did not say anything to my mother for her mistakes? Why he kept smiling and ate all those black as coal curry? Etc” I would look at my father cleaning his axes and again to the lessons for tomorrow an exam.

“What’s happens my son?” my father asked me when he realized that I am not into lessons.

“Nothing my father” I said and tried to look at the book. 

“If father had told the truth to the mother in the evening” I said again “she might cook another curry to supper, mightn’t she?”

He came near me and sat upon the mat. Smiling, he put his right arm on my soldier and said “my son, your mother had a tough day washing clothes, cleaning houses and other works. She was very tired.” he stopped a little while, took long breath and continued “The burnt curry didn’t harm me my son, but sharp words could have hurt her so much.’’ Smiling, he kissed on my forehead and walked away

Tears came down through my two eyes. I thought “My father is uneducated wise person, isn’t it?” I wiped my tears out “Since there are many couples are giving up or putting full stop to their long term relationship due to small mistakes like my parents had today. We should focus not on mistakes that happen knowing or unknowingly but support all those who Love. That is the secret of long, strong and happy relationship.” I stopped reading and ran towards my father and hugged him tightly. I wept and wept like a little kid until very late night.