Tuesday, February 14, 2017

The Hamper from Home

If you have ever lived away (especially continents away) from home, you’ll know exactly what I am talking about. It all starts with a phone call from Ma. You would have spoken to her yesterday and you probably will tomorrow. However today, you sense some excitement in her voice. She tries to mask it and asks you the usual questions- What is the weather like? What’s the lunch menu? What did you have for breakfast? Sometimes you are even interrogated about the previous night’s dinner. Once you have answered satisfactorily, she moves on to give you a couple of ‘interesting’ tidbits. At this point Ma can no longer contain her excitement. Very enthusiastically she utters that her friend’s aunt’s son-in-law’s colleague would be travelling to your state.

Just as you are putting two and two together and realize what that initial excitement was about, she answers the first question with the following question-Do you need anything? You blurt out that you have everything you need and more. However Ma convinces you that 1) You certainly could do with a few things and 2) ‘The Transporter’ is allowed additional airline baggage and ‘would be happy’ to carry the materials you require.  You run a quick search in your head to try and come up with that perfect article that would make Ma smile without making ‘The Transporter’ frown.

After several long, quiet moments, during which you have run multiple searches, all of which produce ‘0’ results, Ma takes it upon herself to prepare the inventory. A unique whisk that she saw the other day which she claims is very different from the two she’s already bought for you. An exquisite Ganesh idol she is sure you’ll love. A pretty peach coloured top she spotted in a store that would compliment your complexion and matching earrings to go with it. Then she moves on to list your favourite sweets and savouries. You argue that you don’t really need the sweets and that you can always find a store in the city that sells the savouries you like. You go on to tell her how your cooking skills have improved immensely and you can even reproduce the dish. Ma finally agrees to cut back and include just two (instead of four) sweets and a couple of packets of banana chips. The conversation ends with you promising Ma that you’ll be sure to inform her in case you think of any additional items you want.

Several days pass by before ‘The Transporter’ contacts you to confirm your address and let you know that the parcel has been dispatched. You realize you had almost forgotten about it but smile when you are told that the shipment will be delivered early next week. You express your thanks and from that moment onward you eagerly await the package. Over the next couple of days you regularly check the mailbox and the porch every time you leave home. When you don’t spot anything after the next three days, you decide to give up.


After a particularly busy day, you return home to find a brown cardboard box sitting innocently on your doorstep. You pick it up and rush in. Once you have ripped that carton open, you discover that every little item on the list has been painstakingly packed, individually, with a lot of care to make sure that it arrives intact. You open them one by one, making sure you spend enough time admiring not just the article but also the effort put into wrapping it. Curiosity gets the better of you, prompting you to grab the next object in sight. This goes on until you have examined all the contents of the box.  

You soon discover that Ma has managed to slip in two extra boxes of sweets and an additional ginormous bag of homemade khara biscuit/namak pare. Grinning, you put a spoonful of palkova in your mouth. It is exactly like you imagined it to be, perhaps even better. You wish you could Apparate, just to give Ma a hug. You feel glad that Ma snuck in those ‘extra treats’ and extremely grateful for the hamper from home!

What do you find in your hamper from home?


PS: Ma here refers to both, my mom and MIL :) 

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14 comments:

  1. Aww... I've been there. It's embarrassing isn't it sometimes? I feel for the 'transporter' and you don't really NEED anything. But try telling that to the moms. I wonder, Will I also become like that one day?

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    1. There is a high chance you will! :) Having been on the receiving end I can confirm that even if H and N never admit it, they'll secretly love it! i can't say the same about the transporter though!

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  2. That's so sweet..And well penned Anitha!

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    1. Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it! :) I'm sure some of those deliciously baked goods would have made it to your list!

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  3. That's so sweet..And well penned Anitha!

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  4. Made me relive my memories from Hyderabad! :) best feeling ever... Keep writing girl!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, love! :) I'm sure you must have loved those deliveries!

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  5. How lovely! I am always happy to receive a box even if I protest. The excitement of discovering what's inside, and also knowing that everything I said "no" to, would be there anyway--is indescribable joy. That's how I imagine it, anyway. There's no one to send me a hamper. :-) I am so curious to see pics of your hamper's contents! Hugs Anitha! Thank you for coming by my blog! Let's keep in touch.

    P.S.: What a nice "Transporter"!

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    1. I wish I had taken photos of the contents! They looked so delicious that I could not wait to taste the yummy goodies!

      I pity the poor Transporter! :)

      I'm definitely going to be visiting your blog more often!

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  6. This is the Love ❤️ they send it across the continents. Beautifully written.

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    1. Homemade with boatloads of love! Thank you for stopping by! :)

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  7. I loved your post Anitha and I was smiling throughout.I haven't lived continents away from Mum and MIL but still we live far away so these things matter so much. They drip of love. Don't they.
    Have fun and bask in some love from the homeland. Hugs!

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    1. I am so glad you loved the post and could relate to it! Yes, they are always overflowing with love! Thanks for stopping by!

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  8. There is nothing like mother's love. I can very well relate to this. Lovely read!

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