The Balancing Act

The alarm rang.. It was 6 a.m.

Her eyes were puffy, and she felt nauseous yet Shipra dragged herself out of the bed. 

Her mother-in-law had malaria so she did not have the luxury to rest herself. After all, the older woman always treated her like her own daughter - packing her dabbas for work, helping her indulge in her hobby, making her favorite dishes - she treated Shipra like the daughter she never had. So Shipra had to return the favour when her mother-in-law needed help.

Though she had never liked the amount of pampering she had given her son! She gave him everything in his hand from his handkerchief to water so much so that her husband Vishal had never done any household chore.

Shipra missed a helping hand. Back in her own home, her dad and brother helped mom and her in each and everything, be it cooking, cleaning, dusting; her dad even braided her hair sometimes. But here, things were different. Being a working woman, she could use a little help from Vishal but she knew her mother-in-law wouldn't approve of that so she let it be.

She freshened up, took a deep breath and told herself, "Today is going to be rough, deal with it!"

She went to the kitchen and was stunned for a moment. To her utter shock, hers and Vishal's packed tiffins were lying on the kitchen counter. She checked if they were empty but they were filled with her favourite bhindi sabzi, roti, lasooni daal and salad. It was much much more than what she had planned to cook herself!

She wondered if her mother-in-law must have gotten up even in sickness to do all that but when she checked the lady was fast asleep. Do Elves really exist, she thought to herself.

She stood there processing all this, when suddenly she got a peck on her cheek.

"Good morning honey" Vishal said

"Who did all this?" she asked surprised by his presence so early in the morning.

"Of course Chef Vishal Sachdev! You always underestimate me. I can cook you know!" he winked and kissed her forehead.

She was still puzzled, "When did you learn cooking? It's been 3 years together and goddamn you didn't tell me that you can cook!!" she shrieked, half happy half annoyed of the revelation.

"Well my skills didn't come to use up until today thanks to you and mom. I learnt it when I used to stay alone in Patna. I know mother doesn't like me doing it so I got up early and finished everything early morning. We men, always have to strike a balance you see" Vishal said hand gesturing inverted commas.

Shipra punched him playfully and hugged him not believing that this was the same man who didn't lift even a glass of water himself.

"Sweetheart," Vishal said, "this is the least I can do when you are unwell too, I heard you throwing up last night. Anyway, aren't we getting late for work? Come on now, go get ready everything is done here. I'll get you ice-cream in evening."

Shipra turned around to go back to her room with a smile that stretched from ear to ear. Only if Vishal knew, how timely hs helpful Avatar had arrived. Her nausea was a symptom and soon he would have to get ready to braid someone's hair too. Their little elf :)

About the Author:

Sheetal Panchal is a chartered accountant by profession, a dreamer by the day and a thinker by night juggling between hobbies, afraid to call them passions. A thriller to find excitement in smallest of the things. A piscean woman.