The Leftovers....

My dad's 60th was approaching and I was totally oblivious to it.
My wife started planning for it 6 months in advance, and only then I realized, "Oh it was supposed to be an occasion."

I was not really enthusiastic about it but then I let her have her way. She's a really sweet woman.
I was wondering why was she doing all this for her father-in-law, was she trying to be a good daughter-in-law ? Was she over-doing things ? or was she doing all this for "social status" ? You can never understand this entity called woman and when she becomes your wife you feel you could have cracked the Da Vinci code but yet wouldn't have understood the motive behind your wife's actions. Anyways I let her have her way, after all I loved her and wanted her to be happy.

So finally the D-day came and all arrangements for the celebration had been made. We called all our attai's athimber's, chittapa's, chitti's, (basically different names for uncles and aunts in Tamil) . My wife invited all her friends in her social circle.

The main part of any celebration in any part of the world is the feast. Good food is supposed to draw blessings from all elders. All people came and partook the meal. There were many diabetic and many with BP but none spared the food. They ate for the sake of eating.

The most attractive part of the meal that we served was the dessert and that happened to be "Pal Paysam" (rice kheer / pudding) which is my favorite dish. It is the south Indian equivalent of "Rabdi". The food was being served and I waited and watched.

One of our relatives who finished her food came and told me, "Paysam Nalla Irruku, Ana....Munidiriparrupu thaan kammi" (The payasam was good...but there were very less cashewnuts) .
I said, "Seri Mami Adtha Dharva Anju Kilo Mundiri Poduvom" (Yes, the next time we will put 5 kilos of cashews )

Another diabetic thata came and said, "Payasam la chakkarai jasthi, diabetic patientsku speciala paysam pannanam ketaiya" (There was a lot of sugar in the kheer, next time make special payasam for diabetic patients).
I said, "Seri thata, adtha dharuva Sugar free pottu paysam panuvom" (The next time we will use sugar free instead of sugar in the paysam)

Comments trickled in like this. I was wondering, how was I to expect blessings from these "blood relations" of mine when they complained of such trivial things. First of all where they eligible to bestow blessings ?

Finally everything was over and my wife was attending to the guest, giving them parting gifts. Even as she was doing this I went to the kitchen and saw a lot of "Pal Paysam" left.

I walked across the street and saw group of poor kids playing. I called them,"Pasangala enga vango" (Hey kids come here) and gave them the bowl of paysam. Their face lit up with joy and happiness.

They asked, "Indha Paysam Edhukku mama" (On what occasion are you giving paysam ?)

I said," Inniki Yen Appa Porandha Naal" (It is my dad's b'day).

Then one kid said, "Appaku porandhanaal Nal Vazthugal sollungo, avaruku noor aiyusu" (Convey our best wishes to him on this occasion. We wish him 100 years)

I just smiled and wondered whether any of my relatives ever wished my dad on his b'day. Giving these kids food gave me much more happiness than serving food to the so called relatives.

I never dreamt that "the leftovers" could give me so much joy.

Soon my wife came and asked, "My, my this function was a success. Did you enjoy it ?"

I said, "Yeah it was great." I was winking at the kids and they were giving the most genuine smiles ever.