Christmas Eve … we three siblings always looked forward to (especially me, the oldest of the three!) The evening of Christmas Eve spread a waft of warm, buttery, fruity, rummy, raisiny air, with the arrival of our humongous carton of fruit cake (literally 3 to 4 cartons, courtesy of my mom’s tradition of gifting cakes and cookies to the entire neighborhood!)
Christmas Eve …. 2022 … home is amiss of warm fruit cakes, cookies, the rush and run of my brother and sister, the last-minute check on our new clothes, all set to be worn for the Mass, and amiss of our hardworking, night toiling, sweat-faced-in-the-winter-night yet smiling and laughing MUMMY!
I’m at home with my husband and two fur babies.
Not feeling like Christmas without Mummy.
Not feeling like Christmas, without her delicious food.
Not feeling like Christmas without her extra care in getting me ready to look and feel good, in her specially-designed dress. I still cannot come to terms with Christmas without that one warm being who has been gone to a heavenly abode for a year.
One dish was mandatory for Christmas lunch – biryani – which we’d have even after two days of the festival (along with indigestion tabs)
The Last Biryani was the tastiest and most immemorial one – The Last Biryani that I yearn for till today was the one Mummy made especially for me on 4th April 2021 Easter Day. I still remember being hesitant to travel because I was not fully vaccinated for COVID.
But Mummy urged me to visit her for Easter for a few hours only. I was scared for my mom because she had comorbidities. And I didn’t want to risk her health; since she was not even partially vaccinated. But she nagged me to visit her for Easter lunch. And I did.
That biryani for lunch tasted different. It was the best biryani I’ve ever had in my life. And she made channa dal (lentil) and halwa (my favorite), which tasted divine. I wanted seconds, thirds, fourths, and more helpings, but my stomach couldn’t handle it (though my heart wasn’t satisfied!)
I left my mom’s place back home, feeling emotional, delighted, and different that I met mummy after so many days and experienced her love like never before. Her hug felt like a cloud engulfing my soul (And I never wanted to leave her to embrace!)
Who knew that would be the last time I’d ever hug her, enjoy her handmade dessert, and her Last Biryani – the Best Biryani!