By Vidya Tewani
Her home was my harbour
Summer after summer
Is how far I remember
The nest nurtured by my grandmother
In the Rajasthan desert
Amidst the Aravali slopes
Take the uphill road
In the narrow lane of many homes
You will find my summer abode
It has the aroma
Of daliya cooked in sugar syrup
Its hue like a brown hazel nut
A hint of crushed cardamom, my senses behold
Nani’s chocolate fingers, thick and bold
Would pour the porridge
On a white ceramic breakfast bowl
With a tiny well and the round edge
Little flowers craftily etched
In shades of pink, olive and soft red
Delights my memory never forgets
There you see
Little rings of smoke
Of Chandan, lavender and rose
The incense sticks would burn gentle
Faith brightening the mandir mantle
With gods, goddesses, saints, and gurus
A leaf from the Paath Sahib nani would choose
Her book wrapped in silk folds
Placed on a wooden lattice frame
Nani is now chanting stories of spiritual gain
The big achar barnis would entice
Into nani’s kitchen my hungry heart dives
Jars of lentils, papads and spices
Home-made and sun-dried
Cups and saucers in their niches ensconced
The thalis shine gold, silver and bronze
Sindhi kadhi simmering, ready to be served
Nani’s food always tasted of divine love
Summer after summer
Is how far I remember
The nest nurtured by my grandmother
Her home was my harbour
Glossary:
Daliya – porridge
Chandan – sandalwood
Mandir – temple
Paath Sahib – a holy text read daily in many traditional Sindhis Hindu homes
Achar – pickle
Barni – jars
Thalis – plates
Sindhi kadhi – Vegetables cooked in gram flour curry – traditionally made by Sindhis
Bio:
Vidya Tewani is an Assistant Professor of English at SVKM’s Pravin Gandhi College of Law in Mumbai. She is pursuing her Ph.D. at the Department of English at SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai. In her proposed thesis, she wishes to present a discussion on post-partition Sindhi identity in literary works written in Sindhi and English by Sindhi writers in India. She pursued her B.A. (English) and M.A. (English) from St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad, and holds an M.Phil. in English Language Teaching from The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad.
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