It is 15^th August 2020, our Independence Day! Jai Hind to all my fellow Indians! Just before my lunch break I connect with Mrs. Sudha Moorthy (No No…not the Infosys Matriarch) a 52 year old lady now living in Pune, Maharashtra. This is a Telephonic Follow-up call for persons in Home Isolation. As per the records she is only mildly symptomatic and this is Day 9 of her Quarantine period.

I begin by wishing her a cheerful Happy Independence Day! To which she laughs and says “Dr very honestly, I have never ever been so DEPENDANT on another for my sustenance! I have not stepped out of my room for the past 10 days and my husband is resting in another room now, as he is completing his quarantine period after returning from Hospital yesterday. The only Covid Free person at our home is my 26 year old son. Our daughter is married and living in Ahmedabad. I am feeling much better now, but feel so useless and quite helpless to take care of my family!”

I try to cheer her up by reminding her that she who has always been the CEO, CFO, COO and chief Cook and Care-giver of her home and family till date, deserves a vacation too!  She whole heartedly agrees and almost guiltily shares that she has watched all the old Amitabh Bachchan movies and is re-living her fun filled college days with her friends through social media and WhatsApp!

Sudha is in a chatty mood and says “Doctor, my son who did not know how to make a cup of tea for himself is going to serve me a home cooked meal of Rasam-Rice and Beans Pallya with Papad today”. When I was feeling very unwell and his father was in hospital I just could not eat the hotel food that he ordered through Swiggy. That is when he (a computer engineer) said “Amma, if I was smart enough to crack IIT-JEE exam, I can learn to cook! I have the best trainer – YOU!” So he set up his computer in the kitchen and we connected on Zoom for a live Cookery Class each morning and evening. It started with simple stuff like Ginger Tea and Toast and he progressed to Maggi Noodles and Moon Daal Pongal. He bought ready to heat ID Chuppatis and Dosa Batter. He made a pretty tasty Coconut Chutney and odd shaped but tasty Dosas and Aloo Bhaaji for the rotis. Cut salad and cut fruits accompanied every meal he served me. Guess what Dr – He also writes a daily Blog that all his IIT friends read titled “Learning to cook in 14 days – Thanks to Corona!”

I laughingly reminded her that her future Daughter-in-law will thank her profusely for a husband who knows how to be self-sufficient and can cook too!

Ciao for now!