A perfect recipe

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Today's THEME is



Fiddling with the fork Nitya stared at the hot idlis her mother had given in the lunch box.  They were her favourite. Soft, delicious, every bite would just melt in the mouth. But today they did not tempt her enough. She was confused and for an 8 year old confusion meant the end of the world till it was resolved.
For Nitya her mom meant the world. She could never think of irking her ever. She adored her mom and abided by all that she said. One day she had told her “Eating okra makes you perfect in maths!”And since then Nitya ate it without any fuss, after all her mother could never be wrong. Some day she would have said “Having oatmeal in breakfast is the best thing for your health” and since then began a daily affair with oatmeal for breakfast.
Every day Nitya would come to school with her lunch box brimming with some or the other delicacy. One day it would be steaming idlis, piping poha, grilled sandwiches and a lot of other yummy varieties which she loved eating for her mother never forgot to tell her how good they were for her health. She would patiently wait for the bell to declare the lunch break and run with her friends to the play ground where they all gathered for lunch.
When a bunch of 8 year olds gather there is a lot of worldly wisdom shared. Today the topic was food. They began discussing the healthiness quotient of the food they are and how important it was for them to have it. So Manpreet ‘s mom had ensured stuffed parantha with dollops of homemade butter which were the best for her health, while Venkat believed it was idlis that were the best. Then there was Payal who thought that Khakhra was the world’s best breakfast ever.

Source: Google Images
 
The more they talked the more her heart sank, for she feared what if her mother was wrong, what if she did not know that things had changed and now Nitya had to be given new things to be healthy. These thoughts had occupied her mind so much that she had forgotten her favourite food which lying in front of her.
 
As Nitya was lost in her thoughts her class teacher Ms. Kanchan noticed her. She was usually a very chirpy child and seeing her like this made Kanchan worry. She walked up to her, “Nitya, what happened child? Why are you not eating?”
Out came the dilemma she was in. Kanchan looked at her and smiled. With two cute pony tails tied in matching bows and a floral handkerchief pinned to her uniform she surely made an adorable sight.
“Our moms are the world’s best cooks and they know what the best is for us. They told you what is healthy for you, but they did not tell you about one ingredient which is common in each one of them making it the best for you. We need that to stay strong forever.”
“What is it Miss?”
 “Ä pinch of love. The moment you add it to anything that you make, it automatically becomes the most wonderful dish in the world for you. And our moms add it graciously in every dish that they make. That is the reason we are so healthy right?”

Source: Google Images
Listening to this Nitya smiled and mumbling a quick thank you made a dash towards her friends to finish her incomplete lunch. Her confusion was finally cleared!
 
I am taking part in The Write Tribe Festival of Words 8th – 14th December 2013.

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