on breaking my mil's chappati stone

I broke my mother in law's chappati stone
it lies dead in the pantry as i write
2 halves, like a broken heart
the rolling stick is widowed
and mother in law is in mourning

i blurted out the 'passing away' to her gently
she is nearing seventy,
i made her sit down with her chai
and slowly uncovered the broken stone
A cruel morning this, heartless careless daughter in law- me.


ask my maid Dhanalakshmi
and she will tell you amma bought the stone
in '85, when she went to visit Jaipur
she had been yearning for a perfect round piece of marble
ever since she saw it at her cousin's place

and after the customary round of bargaining
(she gestured rather, hindi mallom nahin)
for Rs 25 she returned triumphantly
the chappati stone was coveted by many
and i can imagine amma's smile

tread carefully in the kichen
the lemon squeezer is 50 years old
(amma's wedding gift), the nerolac container for our atta
is as old as my beloved
the tea strainer , we cant throw away because
thats the only thing father in law ever bought
way back in the 70's


the plastic bag that hangs on the corner
belonged to amma's mother(my grandmother in law)
dont use that jute moram
cause that is 49 years old
the sugar container, ha! is older than me.


every corner of amma's kitchen has a story
memories hang like cobwebs
and every spoon is a friend
every mud fish vessel a treasure
tread carefully in this much loved kitchen