FS: Book 1 – Chapter 7
The art of baking ‘Pithe’, the seasonal delicacy was a common one in the village of Nabaghat. It was also a major source of gathering for all the women in the village. The ladies gossip and share stories among themselves – stories of their wailing kids who fell sick or learnt to speak a new word, stories of how much milk the cows in their sheds give, of how much fish their husbands caught from their ponds, and similar ones. All the gossips which were whispered so long were now being shared aloud. That day’s gossip made Kalo hang her head, because she was the topic of discussion. Kalo was married for a while now, and was growing old and yet how come she did not have any good news to share with the fellow women?
A Mrs. Ghosh who lived a few houses away from the Rai household, and was nearly of the age of Kalo’s mother-in-law came by almost every day. She had a habit of chewing beetle leaves all day that Kalo didn’t much enjoy. Invariably she would open her stained mouth and throw awkward questions at Kalo – ‘Hey lady, what news have you got for me? How long will you dance around like this? Won’t your mother-in-law see the face of her grandson, or will you send her to heaven before that?’. Kalo stared at the floor speechlessly. Her husband’s younger sister-in-law thrusts her infant girl in Kalo’s arms and rises up with the words ‘Can you hold her for a bit? I feel sick’. The sly Mrs. Ghosh smirks and winks at Kalo’s mother-in-law ‘Is she feeling siçk again?, and lets out a sickening laugh. Kalo’s mother-in-law continues to remain silent when Mrs. Ghosh herself answers ‘Quite expected! After a girl she needs a son. Who will carry forward the generations?’. Mrs. Ghosh’s daughter Sheela, a married girl, had come with her. She suddenly lost her cool and blurted out ‘Will you give it a rest mother? Why are you always pestering everyone with the same thing?’. Mrs. Ghosh pretended to be hurt and continued ‘What wrong have I said? If I didn’t have Binu and Nyapa after you who would have carried our generation forward?’. Sheela opens her mouth to say something, and decides against it. Maybe her mother is right, she mused silently.
Scores of ‘pithe’ were being fried at a high speed. The cook had brought along a couple of helpers with her that day. They had tons to make, and distribute from Rai household, and very little time to do that. Cook Nidhi’s daughter were frying them in a large mud container placed on a fire from wood stacks, and the other helper chanted rhymes and hymns all along shaping the desserts. Legend said that this was the correct way to prepare ‘pithe’. It pleased the Goddess Laxmi, Goddess of wealth and Prosperity; and she would linger around within the house for a longer time blessing the residents. A variety of similar desserts were being made of different shapes in different styles, the ingredients being the same. It was a long day for them. The sun had set, and the evening was getting darker; but there was still work to be done.
It was the first day of the seasonal festival that bragged ‘pithe’, so celebration arrangements had to be intensified. Large fish were caught from Rai household pond in the morning, scores were distributed among the other villagers, and a dozen different fish dishes were prepared for their family. After evening settled in, all food was presented in large plates in front of the Goddess Laxmi’s idol in the prayer room. An extensive prayer service would follow, after which everyone could eat that food and celebrate. Before they knew the exciting day was over, and then next day the festive arrangements were on again. The next day was for relatives, neighbors and friends. They were all invited to the Rai household to eat and celebrate with them. From dawn the cook, her helpers and the women in the house started preparing food for all. Amidst all the work, one could hear ringing laughter, funny giggles and feminine chatter. This goes on for a few days. All the nearby villages sent their wives to their parental houses these few days. These blissful few days of the year was what the women used to look forward to all year. The sound of gossips and laughter, the smell of fresh jaggery and delicious desserts and great food filled the hearts of everyone in the village.
A few more months left before Kalo’s husband’s younger sister-in-law would give birth to her next child. A priest was called in the evening to seek help of astrology and determine a suitable date and time for her baby shower. From the morning she had thrown up quite a few times. Perhaps it was excessive eating these few days, or the smell of food being cooked all day. Her daughter Polu, a toddler, ran to her to climb into her lap, but she was not able to do that. Her mother-in-law quickly pulled the kid in her own arms and looks at Kalo.
These days Kalo was busy tending to Polu all the time. She was growing into a rather restless baby, and it was very difficult to keep an eye on her all the time and make sure she doesn’t trip. Yet Kalo tried her best, but she couldn’t keep Polu in her arms for long. Polu was a plump kid, well fed with pure and fresh milk from the cows in the shed. Kalo fed her, dressed her, gave her showers, cleaned her diapers, and even combed her few thin hair strands. Polu called her ‘Meoma’ which sounded both funny and adorable to Kalo. But when Polu looked up at her with big round eyes and started crying her lungs out, Kalo found it very difficult to pacify and quieten her. When Polu got angry, she liked to squat on the floor and wail at the top of her voice while throwing her limbs – and that was the time Kalo struggled hard not to start crying herself at her failed attempt to soothe a baby one-fourth her size. That was the time Nitu, daughter of Kalo’s husband’s elder sister-in-law came to rescue. Nitu was the sharp, patient elder sister of Polu who felt sorry for Kalo and took matters in her own hands in such situations. She sat in front of Polu and starts to sing and chant rhymes while rocking herself back and forth and doing various actions with her hands and face. Polu would always fall for that, instantly get silent and stare at Nitu with big watery eyes and heart-warming giggle on her lips.
