Life on a mulberry farm Part 2 "What's cooking"

Beginning of every month mummy papa would go to town to get groceries. This would mean bhai and I could just freak out. This time, he asked me if I can make some halwa. I was ready to cook up a storm in the kitchen and readily agreed. I had just recently started cooking lessons with my unwilling mummy who thought I was too young to be around fire and sharp objects. But my fascination for cooking was not be contained. 

This was just the right opportunity for me to showcase my culinary skills. It was another story that I didn't know how to make halwa or anything for that matter. I had helped mummy in the kitchen and had seen her making different dishes. And this I thought qualification and experience enough to create a masterpiece of my own. I was absolutely confident that I would be able to recreate mummy's halwa!

I confidently went inside the kitchen and asked Sharad,"you want aate ka halwa or suji halwa?" "I love aate wala," came the prompt reply. I took out a cup of wholewheat flour from the big steel container. I had seen mother doing that. I switched on the gas and put a wok on the flame. Then I added the flour and started roasting it. I added some sugar and water and started cooking it. I kept cooking but the halwa didn't seem the right consistency, when suddenly I remembered that I forgot putting ghee. I quickly found the small steel container of ghee and put some spoonfuls in my halwa and tried to mix vigorously. 

My right hand was tired of mixing. I called bhai for help, who promptly jumped in and started mixing with full force till it got together and started resembling mother's halwa.

There it was, the yummy, sticky and hot halwa. I divided it in two equal portions and served it in plates. For someone who knows cooking, it might not be the best but for the little sister and brother, it was the yummiest. Sharad praised it to skies, "It's yummy, Shachi! When did you learn?" I was on top of the world and thought to myself, cooking is so much fun! 

By the time we finished eating and watching TV, it was almost time for parents to come back. "We must clean the dishes, otherwise mummy will come to know." Mother's strict instructions were not to switch on the gas flame. Sharad offered to do the dishes as I had done the cooking. The dishes were squeaky clean as immediately after washing them, he also wiped them dry and kept them in their original place. The kitchen looked untouched with everything in place. We did a thorough inspection and were quite satisfied. 

Mummy papa came back after sometime and also brought some treats for me and bhai. As soon as mummy entered, she said, "where is the nice smell coming from?" We got worried. Mummy went inside the kitchen and we followed her quietly. Mummy looked inside the kitchen, turned around and with a big smile said, "next time, save some for me".