Attended a South Indian wedding yesterday of the daughter of an editor friend of mine and as I looked at the young newly weds, I whispered to my wife that the couple looked like young children too early to enter into matrimony. The wife smiled and as we sat at the reception hall reminded me of our days when we’d started off together, of pressure cooker lid hitting the ceiling and nine wick stoves that took ages to cook as hungry guests waited to taste her culinary skills!

Ah well, we all have our ‘early married days’ stories don’t we, so lets peek into the diary of a young wife, also recording her early experiences:

Monday: Now home from honeymoon and settled in our new home. It’s fun to cook for Mohan. Today I made a cake for my dearest and the recipe said, “Beat 12 eggs separately.” Well, I didn’t have enough bowls to do that, so I had to borrow 12 bowls from the neighbours houses to beat the eggs in. The cake turned out fine though I could not understand why Mrs Kapoor was grinning when she came to see what I was doing.

Tuesday: Mohan insisted when he left for work, of a fruit salad after dinner. The recipe said, “Serve without dressing.” So I didn’t dress. But Mohan happened to bring a friend home for dinner and they both looked so startled when I served them, I think it was the salad.

Wednesday: I decided to serve rice and found a recipe, which said, “Wash thoroughly before steaming.” So I heated some water, took a bath and washed myself really thoroughly, but it does sound kind of silly doesn’t it? I don’t remember my mother ever having to do such, must be a very fussy kind of rice. I can’t say it improved it in anyway.

Thursday: Today Mohan asked for salad again. I tried a new recipe. It said, prepare ingredients, then toss on a bed of lettuce one hour before serving.” I hunted all over the place for a garden and when I got one, I tossed my salad into the bed of lettuce and stood over there for over one hour so the dog would not eat it. Mohan came over and asked if I felt all right. I wonder why? He must be stressed at work, I’ll try to be more supportive.

Friday: Today I found an easy recipe for pav- bhaji. It said, “Put all the vegetables in a bowl and beat it.” Beat it I did, to my mum’s place. There must have been something wrong with the recipe, because when I came back again, it looked the same as when I left it.

Saturday: Mohan went shopping today and brought home a chicken. He asked me to dress it for Sunday. I don’t know how hens dress for Sunday. Being from a vegetarian background I was a little surprised but found an old doll’s dress and it’s little cute shoes. I thought the hen looked really cute. When Mohan saw it, he started counting to ten. Either he was really stressed because of his work, or he wanted the chicken to dance.

Sunday: Mohan sent me home to my mother’s today. I can’t figure out what’s wrong, when I left him he was crying “Why me? Why me?” Maybe he’s already missing me, so I’ll run back as soon as possible and help him through the next week..!”