Salt to Taste

We all have that one moment in our lives where we feel the crux of living, more like we agree to that statement like never before. I too had such an experience, when I was young, I had got that perfect expression that defines life according to me. It was my grandma's favourite phrase. That was a bright sunny weekend when I was sitting on the veranda with my long hair left open almost touching the red oxide flooring of our vernacular house. Coconut, mango, palm trees swaying at their pace and my cute little cat 'Vishva' was busy licking itself clean, while me being busy blowing air to the newly made pinwheel of mine. "Turn towards the east Pallavi its not good for your health to oil your hair facing the south." Said my grandma in her shaky yet authoritative voice and I almost immediately paused blowing air to my pinwheel. "Yes, granny." Turning towards the east I point my colourful pinwheel made of parchment papers to the baby rays of the sun and a hearty smile appears on my face accepting the vibrant colours flowing towards me. My grandma sits behind me with a bowl of lukewarm coconut oil in her hand, setting the bowl on the ground, she starts massaging my hair with the warm liquid. Her old wrinkled hands feel heavenly on my head, as the warm liquid seeps through my thick hair to my scalp I feel the restlessness in me calming down slowly, while I am bending backwards with my pinwheel facing the sun, blocking the sun's vision from me. I feel like the luckiest kid on earth. Her gentle massages filled with affection are sending warmth to my body, it's making me feel protected. I like it. A gentle smile spreads across my face and I hear my granny addressing me again. "I can't believe my baby has grown up to be such a beautiful young lady" "I am a girl granny." I protest with a cutesy tone, of course, you will call an eighteen-year-old teen a girl, not a lady, isn't it?. "Stop whining, at your age I had already given birth to your father do you know that?" She counter attacks and I can't say anything further but pout at her comment. "Listen to me carefully Pallavi, I don't know how many more years I will be there on this earth, but I want to tell my granddaughter this life lesson which I have always idolised. I dont know when that dumb father of yours, my son, will marry you off to a suitable guy but hear my marriage tip anyway." "Granny, again you are moving out to that topic, let me at least enter the college." I get a playful smack on my head with her fisted hand for interrupting her knowledge spectrum which in turn makes me giggle in silence. Ouch, it was quite a warning though. "When you get married, there might be times when you feel that, that person is nothing better than a donkey." I break out laughing loud gaining a glare from my dear grandma and go silent again. Scoping another handful of oil she starts applying it to the tips of my hair and continues. " Also there can be times when you feel he is the most charming man in the world. But dont let your emotions bring the best out of you. Always remember, be it a tasty cuisine or life the amount of salt has the most crucial role. If more then it can turn tainted, and if less then it becomes bland. So the amount of salt justifies the skill of cooking, similarly, the amount of salt in life justifies the nature of the relation. And the relation between a husband and wife must always be balanced. That's why I always 'salt to taste or else it's a waste.'" We giggle together after saying her favourite line in unison. Her words are still fresh in my memory, they have always reminded me of her, her gentle care, they have always guided me. But now that I am standing here almost about to cross the threshold of my husband's house, with my almost fading henna still celebrating my wedding and these warm tears brimming my almond eyes trying to search back in time, the moment of my life with him, the moment in this past six months, when did my relation turn into waste? When did I misjudge the amount of salt? *************************************** I know I have two ongoing's ':) but please put up with me.:D do comment your opinion on this chapter. stat tuned :D