Sweet Cravings
Alekhya was mesmerised by the beauty of her hometown— Panruti, a quaint Tamilnadu village nestled between lush green hills, gurgling rivulets and towering Jackfruit trees. Peculiar motherhood cravings washed over Alekhya's senses as she experienced flashes of nostalgia coupled with sweet bites of 'Elai-Adai'— the exotic delicacy made with Jackfruit jam. After all, she had set foot upon her lands for the first time after eighteen years.
She remembered her seven year old self being unwillingly taken away from the mystical lands to settle in the larger cities like Salem, Erode and finally Chennai.
With Alekhya's mounting cravings for Elai-Adai, she expressed, "Paati, I wish to taste Elai-Adai. Could you make me some?"
The nonagenarian, known for her culinary prowess responded, "Anything for the pleasure of my Peti and her endearing pregnancy cravings."
With refined enthusiasm, Paati crossed over to the backyard of the old 'Tiled roof house' to handpick the finest Jack-fruits, the ones with the perfect sweetness and ripeness. Paati's ancient kitchen with its antique brass utensils soon became a bustling hub of activity as she transformed the golden jackfruit into a delectable jam, infused with jaggery, ghee and cardamom. As the fragrance of impeccable cooking filled the air that tugged her soul, Alekhya could hardly contain her excitement.
She exclaimed, "Paati, I cant wait to savour those delectable Elai-Adai after decades. My baby too, is waiting to relish them."
With the tantalising redolence emanating from Paati's kitchen, Alekhya announced, "I simply can't resist the temptations," as she seated herself in a lounging chair watching Paati stir the jam to perfection in the huge brass pot.
Like a seasoned expert, Paati skillfully spread the jackfruit jam onto banana leaves, enclosing it with a layer of rice flour paste. While the parcels were getting steamed, Alekhya suddenly felt a tugging pain.
"Ouch!" she mumbled as tiny beads of perspiration gathered around her glabella. Alekhya dismissed the pain as a false alarm.
Paati had now taken the Elai-Adais off the flame and was getting them ready to be served. Alekhya felt another stabbing contraction and now knew that this could not be a false alarm. However, the taste buds took her to a transcending state and without bothering those birth pangs, she savoured her first bite. The combination of the sweet jackfruit jam and the soft, steamed rice flour paste created a symphony of flavours that burst through. She simply did not stop at one and gobbled them one by one until those mounting contractions made her weak and wobbly.
Paati caught the cues and summoned the midwife who was pre-informed of Alekhya's preference to deliver her baby— naturally, at home without a doctor, hospital or nurse.
As the skies were laced with a flock of birds retiring to their nests, painted in dark silhouettes against the purple pink skies, Alekhya gave birth to an adorable baby girl. The newborn seemed to radiate the same warmth and sweetness as the Elai-Adai that had brought so much joy earlier that day.
Glossary:
* Paati- Grandmother
* Peti- Granddaughter
* Ghee- Clarified butter