Dadi on a Mission!

If you come to my house and praise my grandmother’s food, she will remember you for life

My dadi (grandmother) and dada (grandfather) were together for 60 years until Dada passed away due to Covid this month. 

Dadi has a small world that revolves around family. Think of her as Queen of our Kitchen. She feels that it’s her responsibility to feed everyone with good food. She controls everything while my mother is her subordinate, who follows directions. She makes sure that everyone in the family is happy when they leave the dining table. It gives her a sense of pride in what she does every day.

 In 2018, dada went through a heart operation and was in the hospital for some time. I remember dadi used to wake up at 5:30 in the morning to prepare tea. I used to take her to the hospital where she sat beside his bed while he had his tea. She made sure that even in the hospital dada’s routine was not disturbed.

I asked her at that time, how she managed to make dada finish an entire meal when he refused to eat anything for two days in the hospital. She told me that she had her ways. Dada recovered and was back home in two weeks. I still believe dadi was the unsung hero behind his recovery.

Dadi’s love for serving food can be best described in this video:

 
Last month when dada tested positive for Covid, dadi made sure he was having all his meals while he was isolated at home. But when his oxygen levels dropped down, we had to admit him to a hospital. It was the same hospital, he was admitted to in 2018. But this time, dadi couldn't go and see him in the covid ward. My father was somehow allowed to go inside the covid ward to give him homemade food for some days.

Early in the morning dadi would prepare Khichdi (Porridge) and tea along with dada’s favorite biscuits to the hospital. But dada had severe chest congestion and couldn’t eat anything. She wanted to serve him the food herself but obviously, she couldn’t. She tried explaining to my father how he could make him finish his meals. But nothing worked. Every day, she would look at those unfinished dabbas (tiffin box) in despair. Dadi used to spend most of her time in Kitchen, waiting for my father’s call from the hospital.  Alas, she couldn’t spend his last few days with him.

 It has been a month since dada passed away. In this one month, dadi made sure all the last rites were done in proper Hindu fashion irrespective of strict lockdown in the city. She now mostly sits in peace and chants prayers. We don’t even see her in the kitchen nowadays. 

If you come to my house and praise my grandmother’s food, she will remember you for life. She might forget your name, but she will remember you by “the guy who liked my paneer ki sabzi”. So I believe it doesn’t take much to make your grandparents happy. Thanks to the lockdown and Work from home situation my sister and I are getting to spend time with her. It’s time for us to give back for all the things she has done for us.


Check out how Rizwan did his part:

Dadi will take her time, but she will be better soon. She will soon take the charge of the kitchen and the house again because that’s what she is all about.