I am going to write about special categories of women who I shall refer to here as ‘specimens’. Though the term may be a bit harsh, you should realise why I am calling them so and then make your own judgment.
One of my aunts who is married, well-settled with two grown-up sons and is financially well-off might have no complains about life, you might assume. Though she is close to us, the moment she starts talking to me she mentions all her ailments, including body pain and headache, and we also sympathise with her. But within the next hour, I catch her well-dressed with matching accessories going out and eating ice cream.
Another friend of mine always talks about her children’s tantrums, complains about her domestic help and shares only her troubles with me. However, I found out that this friend of mine would often be having a gala time with her circle of friends.
An elderly aunt who always boasts about her achievements will ignore us when we share our achievements by becoming inattentive.
I need to mention here two women, my mother-in-law and my mother. My mother-in-law is a very good cook. She is a master chef indeed and makes really tasty dishes. If I try to learn from her she won’t tell me all the ingredients that go into a given dish; I don’t know whether it is purposely done or not. When I prepare the same dish the taste won’t be the same and she would coolly say I have not added that missing ingredient — which she did not tell me about earlier. If I pointed out that she hadn’t mentioned the ingredient, she would coolly say with a tone of sarcasm that she thought I will be knowing that.
Last but not the least, about my mother who is always eager to teach new recipes each time I try to prepare a recipes. For the same recipe she will be using different methods.
So now see how I tackled these women. Whenever aunt came home I started telling my tale of woes and my pains. At first she sympathised with me but finally she got bored and started avoiding the topic. As for the negative friend, whenever she came home I put on a plastic smile on my face. She would be slightly disappointed by seeing this but gradually started smiling at me and became very jovial. As for the aunt who boasts of her achievements whenever she visits us, I would immediately start singing and she would have no other go but to listen quietly.
I am now at peace with myself. With my mother-in-law, whenever I prepare dishes, the previous day itself I would tell my husband to nod to whatever I say, and when I say the dish prepared by me tastes exactly like his mother’s preparation he simply agrees though the taste will be different. My mother-in-law then has no choice but to tell me what the secret ingredient is. With my mother I just record the recipe. I am a happy woman now.
