Learnings from My Cook

Pratima, our cook, is almost always,…. no….no…, always always in a state of hurry. Perhaps it is her personality that she just can’t walk, talk, and  do work in a bit slow and relaxed manner!

She is a lean creature, not more than 40 kg, and not more than 40, I guess. She cooks well and its almost 2 years now since I know her. Its her second innings with us. I just hope  that she doesn’t repeat her regular trait of absenteeism for days together without any intimation.

Today I had to share kitchen space and work with her as she got late and it was time for husband to go.  And wow! little did I know that a session of learnings,  lasting  about 20-25 minutes was waiting for me😊🙃. I am just  blown away  by her self-confidence and skill to sell her skill.

Its a common trait of any human mind to become careless and bit less sincere in the absence of a pair of eyes watching over. Even I enjoyed this luxury occasionally during my office years.🤭🤭. Hence that’s not the point under lense today.

The point is that her continued talks, her speed of work, and her very strong, confident, chirpy manner of defending herself , touched another level.  It was like – ‘ see, see for yourself that am swimming but am nowhere WET at all ‘😄😄😄. Not once did she budge from her stand of – ‘I Am ALWAYS RIGHT’.  Be it her not cutting the veges  with good wash, not finely plucking the Methi leaves (Fenugreek – मेथी),  a green leafy vege, or putting extra red chilly in assorted vegetables , in stead of black pepper powder, as advised.

Although it was a light hearted, smily smily exchange of give and take, still her prickly  voice was sharp enough to make me press my head for almost 10 minutes, and  then open Black Lotus  app to wash off the side effects of such a noisy session. 😇.

I learnt quite a few  lessons. And the best insight I have got is  :

When a  house cook can be so confident about her skill, why  I, a spiritual  seeker,   can’t  be a bit bold and vocal while sharing my spiritual learnings 🤔.

Until now I have been a sort of docile personality as far as vocally  sharing  of my spiritual life is concerned, with people around me.  I have been waiting for a fine version of Anu to surface, before I  announce with full JOSH and vigor that OM SWAMI  is the name who is my strength, my pillar of existence, my MENTOR, MY GURU. Before I actively become a soldier/sevak  of Sanatan Dharma.

Thank you dear Pratima for this beautiful learning. 

P.S. :  Another catalyst is – a bold talk by Amogh Lila prabhu of ISKCON  strongly criticising an incident of throwing Bhagwad Gita into trash by a teacher in a school at Gaya. He urged all for  a larger, wider, distribution of Bhagwad Gita, as a mark of  protest against this disrespect to our holy book.