AASAAN KAAM

In life, many times we realize that a task looking arduous is not actually that difficult, when started.  On the contrary, some tasks looking plain sailing prove to be strenuous, when started.

All the wives would agree with me that the efforts put in by them in numerous small household chores, which keep them busy throughout the day, are underrated by their husbands.

I realized it when my maid took one month sabbatical from work to visit her village. Though after so many years of marriage, I have become quite used to the preaching of my husband on everything I do, the situation seems to be intolerable when you are already trying to make up for some mishap like broken crockery or spilt milk and somebody starts lecturing  on how you should have been more careful. Yes, my husband helped me in household chores(by putting water in filter, cutting salad, setting the table etc.), but with the newly granted access in the kitchen, he also assumed  the noble charge of my self-appointed tutor, teaching me all the tasks right from cutting the vegetables to making of chapatis, which he himself had never ventured into. On one such occasion, on seeing the milk packets unopened and the milk not put for boiling, he started discoursing on managing the work in a systematic manner. As luck seemed to favour me, during discussions, he said,” doodh ubaalne me hai kya? Itna aasaan kam hai! (What is there in boiling the milk? It’s so easy)”

Taking cue from his speech, I pounced upon the opportunity and told him,” yes, it’s very easy indeed! You please take charge of this easy task from today!”

So, it was decided that then onwards the “aasaan kam”(easy task) of boiling the milk would be carried out by my husband.

For the first few days, he kept on boasting about his efficiency in managing the tasks, but spilling of boiling milk on few occasions took a toll on his confidence forcing him to change his opinion about the task. He devised a way to prevent the occurrence of this disaster, by keeping the milk for boiling on low flame during breakfast and switching off the gas before going to office. (I left for office earlier than him)

Soon, the duty of boiling of milk assigned to him bore fruits in the form of sweet treats for the whole family as more often than not, upon coming back in the lunchtime; I was greeted by the half emptied pot of boiling milk telling the misery it had gone through during the last three-four hours. In the evenings, while fully utilizing the opportunity to deliver a sermon on household works to my husband, I would make delicious Rabari or kulfi from the thickened milk besides boiling fresh milk.

Apart from the sweet treat, the other boon I got was that my husband no longer considered any other small household task aasaan (easy), not only due to the newly found enlightenment, but also for fear of being laden with that work. The nickname given to the task of boiling milk was now aasaan kaam, as we would ask each other,” aasaan kaam aap karoge yaa main karoon?( would you carry out the easy task or I should do it?)”

So, when my son asked me after coming back of my maid, “Mamma! Why we have not eaten Rabari for so many days?” I replied, “let didi(maid) go to her village again, beta! When Papa takes charge of the “aasaan kaam”, we would daily get the chance to enjoy the sweet treats of rabari!”