Untouched

The shrill sound of the milkman’s cycle bell wafted through the windows. Sunanda shook herself awake. She knew that she needs to switch off the alarm before its ring wakes up the household. It showed 4 am and Sunanda wistfully longed for a longer snooze though she knew the disastrous effect of waking up late.

Shekar has a meeting today and Shreya needs to take a picnic snack to share with her friends.  She quickly folded her bedsheet. Shekar was still sleeping. He had stayed up late preparing for the meeting.

She had an hour to prepare. Idli, she wondered. “Amma please don’t give me boring idlies. My friends tease me about your last year’s picnic menu”, Sunanda remembered Shreya’s warning last night.  But quickly remembered Shreya’s complaint last night. She decided to forgo her morning coffee and quickly started washing vegetables and slicing them. Soon the kitchen was filled with the aroma of Vegetable pulao and kadai paneer. 

She heard Shekar getting up and she put the kettle to boil and quickly prepared two cups of tea for both of them. “Sunanda, did the ironwallah give my suit yesterday?”, Shekar called out from the room. “Its in the guest room wardrobe Shekar”, Sunanda answered as she washed the vessels. “I really can’t find it Sunanda. You know how important this meeting is. Come and find it for me”, Shekar was ranting as he browsed the morning paper and finished his hot tea. Sighing, Sunanda wiped her wet hands on the dish towel and quickly went to the wardrobe to find the suit hanging right in front. What was it with these men and kids who cannot seem to find things that are probably visible only to a mother’s magic eyes.

It was 6 am and Sunanda went to the corner room and started waking up Shreya. It would take another 30 minutes to get her beloved daughter out of bed and into the bathroom. Gently pulling herself out of the warm cuddle of her sleeping girl, Sunanda quickly finished her bath. She could hear Shreya singing in the bath and wistfully remembered her own carefree school days. “Shreya, you have only 30 minutes for the bus. Quick “she chided as she stopped to wear her pressed salwar kameez.  She paused to think if she should wear a saree remembering her colleague Sangita dazzling the office in crisp starched cottons and delicate organzas. But the thought of wearing these sarees on the train put her off. Ï would probably reach office looking like a rag picker”, and so she quickly wore her trusted wrinkle free pink salwar. On a whimsy she added the pearl earrings that Shekar had gifted her two years ago. She was about to wear lipstick and Shekar hollered, “Sunanda, I’m leaving”. Oh no “Shekar wait, breakfast is ready. And please take your lunch ”Sunanda begged. “No no. It’s getting late. I will just take the toast. You keep the packed lunch in the fridge. I will have it for dinner”. Giving her a hug, her husband of 10 years rushed out.

Sunanda sighed. Quickly she unpacked Shekar’s lunch and repacked it in microwave bowls and put them in the fridge.  

She peeped out to see Shreya still loitering in her uniform. The time was 7 am and the school bus and the shuttle bus would be arriving in 10 minutes.  With panic building up, Sunanda upped her voice and quickly combed Shreya’s hair into a braid.  “I don’t want breakfast” whined Shreya. In the next 5 minutes, Sunanda threatened and cajoled a slice of toast and a cup of milk.

The sound of the bus turning into the complex jolted Shreya out of her morning reverie. “Bye Ma, she shouted and started going down”.

Sunanda saw her morning hard work of the picnic food basket still sitting on the table and her heart sank. “Wait, she yelled and quickly grabbed her handbag and the picnic bag and rushed behind Shreya. She managed to lock the door in record time and flew with a prayer on her lips. Oh please don’t let the bus leave!

Thankfully the bus doors were just about to close when she reached the bay.  She handed the picnic bag to Shreya and ignored the frowns of other mothers and the bus driver. She was just in time to catch her shuttle bus that would drop her at the station.  As she plopped down on the seat, she ticked of her checklist mentally - "Gas switched off, windows closed, door locked"  and let out a sigh of relief.

Inside the house, the hum of the morning slowly subsided and only the waning fragrance of one untouched cup of tea starts to permeate everywhere.