The New Bride and Her First Guest

Hello friends, I have brought back yet another episode of the new bride regarding, how she tackled her very first guest, who had almost self invited himself for a Sunday lunch! Why? It was plain curiosity to find out how she is fairing in her newly acquired status of a homemaker. About my intention, to tell you her story? To provide you some glimpses of her trial, errors and subsequent triumphs in turning the tricky situation to her advantage. How she gradually found her footing in managing a house and become a good homemaker.

As I have told you earlier in my previous posts that she entered into holy matrimony, absolutely clueless about her prospective responsibilities, at the tender age of twenty(it happened a good twenty five years ago). She had an inherent quality, her swiftness in taking the matter under her control, however impossible the task might look in the beginning. This agility, added with strong determination had most of the time seen her through many crisis.

It was her first weekend at her husband’s place and she was anticipating to spend a quality time with her husband, but it was not to be! When he returned after shopping for the lunch, she found a kilogram of mutton in the shopping bag! Her eyes instantly widened in a mix of horror and suspense. She practically abhorred mutton and that too in such a large quantity for two people!

She was duely enlightened by her husband that while he was in the mutton shop, he was ambushed by a senior colleague of his. The gentleman dropped enough hint by informing him about his wife visiting her father’s place and he had to cook for himself. He also duely enquired about what was the menu of the Sunday lunch and reminded that he was a great fan of mutton dishes, not forgetting to ask, how the new bride was handling her domestic felicity.The hints were as big as boulders and the hubby dear couldn’t sidestep them and was forced to extend the invitation with a smiling face.

Assessing her obvious discomfort, he volunteered to cook the lunch as he used to cook all his meals as a bachelor. She resolutely declined the offer, however tempting it sounded. After sending her husband off to tidy up the house fit for a guest, she turned her attention towards the assignment at hand, that is, to cook mutton for a guest, unknown to her.

The predicament was that she had never cooked mutton all by herself and beside that, she detested mutton preparations from an early age, after once accompanying her father to a butcher shop. The sight and smell of raw meat, left her head reeling. Her nose wrinkled, as she began the process of cleaning them. Her hubby peeped through the kitchen door and asked whether she needed any help. The panick written on her face made him to take up the task of cleaning, despite her refusals.

After duly peeling and cutting the onions, he had to leave the battle field, on her insistence. Afterall, it was matter of her reputation, the guest had expressed his wish to have the meal cooked by the bride herself. She didn’t want to falter on the very first hurdle. But the problem was she was not privy to the exact procedure of cooking and owning up was quite embarrassing in front of her hubby. As the newly weds have no telephones installed yet and mobiles were all but dream, she couldn’t avail the advantage of asking her mother.

She had some fleeting vision of frying onions in a kadhai( a heavy panned vessel)and mutton marinated in spices. As for spices ,she decided to employ all of them available to her, that is garlic ,ginger paste, coriander, cumin , red chilly, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves all in powdered form, not forgetting the ubiquitous salt, turmeric and some oil. For appropriate quantity she just relied on her cooking instinct which was basically sound.Now the process of marinating the meat was complete.

She began frying the onions in the largest kadhai available to her, then added the marinated mutton into it. A large time was taken up in frying all the materials together, but she persevered with it. Her patience bore fruit at last when she found her husband hovering around mesmerized by the aroma wafting through the air. This gave some courage to her flagging nerves.

Finally the guest, a tall gentleman in his late forties, arrived in due time. The dining table was all spick and span well adorned with fresh flowers, dishes all laid up and shining. The guest was all compliments towards the new bride. As she tried to correct him, her hubby gently hold her hands, restraining her from it. He was enjoying the accolades for his new bride, with a mischievous smile hovering in his lips.

When the food was served, the palpitations of the new bride had reached a crescendo. The hubby gently pressed her hands under the table, to reassure her and she tried to smile. After devouring few mouthfuls, the guest’s eyes widened. The bride couldn’t fathom wether due to shock or otherwise. The couple waited for the verdict.

The guest at last spoke, “I’m absolutely speechless! The taste of the recipe reminded me of my mother.” His eyes shining remembering his late mother.” May I call you bou maa.”

For your knowledge, it’s an endearment reserved only for a brother’s wife to show affection. I must tell you that all this years, the relationship still stands. Whenever they meet the mention of the mutton dish would invariably come into the conversation.

Hope you liked the bride’s story. Do tell me about it in the comment box.

Wish you all health and happiness. Adieu for now.

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