Disclaimer – This is purely a fictional piece of work.
“Hello Arvind, haven’t heard from you since a week. Hope you are fine?” Satvir enquired from his long time friend and office colleague.
“No uh….Come soon,” Arvind replied. His tone was barely audible as he hung up. Satvir called again but Arvind didn’t bother to reply. Satvir was quite concerned.
It was the first Sunday morning after the Lockdown was first announced by the Prime Minister. The new disease which came from China had created upheaval in everyone’s life. But young, unmarried people like Satvir felt that they were lucky, living in a flat, having sufficient money and confidence in digital purchases. However, this 2-hour curfew relaxation was a window period to stock up the weekly grocery. Arvind’s behavior on the phone was worrying, Satvir rushed out, first he bought his groceries and then reached Arvind’s flat which was a good 15 minutes ride on his bike. Arvind was staying with two of his office colleagues. The doorbell went unanswered. Satvir gave a ring on his mobile but it went unanswered, though he could hear the ringing in Arvind’s mobile phone. Sensing danger, he broke open the door.
The living room was in a mess. Half-eaten stale bread on the only table. Arvind slumped on a beanbag, head to a side with sunken eyes and dry skin. The mobile phone was lying on one side. Satvir rushed towards him, feeling his pulse, which appeared quite weak. He knew exactly what to do. Years ago, when his sister had a bout of upset stomach his mother had prepared ORS. Oral Rehydration Solution is life-saving for someone who is dehydrated, meaning, has less water in their body. It is a simple sugar and salt solution in the right proportion to which and a little juice can be added for flavor. Satvir force-fed the first few sips till Arvind was fully conscious and could hold the glass.
After a while, Arvind felt better and narrated his story. He said that both his flatmates had left the same evening as the Lockdown was announced as they belonged to a nearby town. He confessed that he had never learned cooking and all he knew was how to make coffee or boil an egg. Prashant, one of his co-occupants of the flat was an amateur cook and there was never any need for him to even go to the kitchenette. Lunch was catered by the famous ‘dabbawallahs’ in the office itself. In the first few days of Lockdown, he had survived on fruits, salads, boiled eggs, bread, and coffee. One day he did try to make noodles but they turned too mushy and tasted horrible. Once the groceries ran out he felt too weak to go to the colony gate to buy fresh groceries. He was literally starving for two days and survived on black coffee before it dehydrated him.
“Let me make some ‘khichdi’ for you. Have it with little curd, it is easily digestible and you will feel stronger,” said Satvir as he went to the kitchenette with his grocery bag. He took out carrots, peas, and potatoes from his bag and after chopping, he put some of them with rice in the pressure cooker. As he turned on the induction heater, his mind went back 15 years.
“Leela, Satvir has finished his breakfast, take his plate to the pantry,” shouted his mother. “No Leela,” said his father firmly. “Satvir, please keep your plate in the pantry, then wipe the dining table. You are 10 years old and must learn to do your own work.” From that day onwards his pampering stopped. He had to make his own bed and polish his shoes too. When he was 15 years old, during the summer vacations, he was initiated into basic kitchen skills. His mother had argued that Satvir wanted to become an engineer and then get married. That it didn’t behave well for boys of his age going into the kitchen. His father had countered that if Satvir couldn’t manage a decent hostel with meals, he would be required to make breakfast even if he started a tiffin service. Leela, his younger sister loved to assist Satvir in the kitchen. Together, they even surprised their parents on their wedding anniversary by serving a 3-course dinner of soup, rice pulao, and fruit custard!
“Toot, toot” blew the pressure cooker whistle and brought Satvir back to the present. Adding a little butter he served the hot khichdi to Arvind. Arvind pounced on it like a hungry tiger on his prey. When he finished it, Satvir asked his friend as to why he never learned how to even cook noodles or make sandwiches. Arvind took a sip of water and said, “Friend, I was the only son in a joint family. My mother and cousin sisters never allowed me to do anything at home. They even took my wet towel from the washroom for drying outside. Meals of my choice were cooked. I never even polished my shoes. Only when I went to the hostel, I learned how to make coffee and boil eggs in the electric kettle. My room was always a mess.”
“Yes, this flat stinks too,” said Satvir with a sarcastic smile. “The kitchen has utensils which haven’t been washed for many days. I think I will stay here till the next Sunday and train you sufficiently that you can survive this indefinite Lockdown.” In the evening, Satvir started sweeping the floor. Arvind felt embarrassed but was still weak to do some heavy work. “My friend, I do not know how to thank and repay you. You have saved my life by coming here,” he said. “Yes, you can repay me, very easily,” replied Satvir with a smile on his face. “Just by learning Self-Care.” “What is self-care?” quizzed Arvind. Arvind looked in his eyes and said, “It means when you get-up in the morning, you make your bed and clean its surroundings. You wash your own linen. You cook basic meals. You look after yourself and others in medical emergencies. Now, since both of us have no work to do for the next one week, your training starts from today. Arvind put on your gloves and start assisting me in the kitchen while I cook the dinner!”
Maj Gen Krishan Chauhan is a second-generation army officer. He studied in Sainik School Kapurthala, graduated from IG Medical College, Shimla and did his MD from AFMC/Pune University. He has served in the Army Medical Corps for 36 years and retired as the Addl DGMS army. He is an avid marathon runner and a writer. He first wrote articles for children in The Young Chronicles. Later, he started writing his own blog as Genkris, on WordPress where over 25 articles on various subjects can be accessed.
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