The Story of a Wife

“I don’t know how she is going to learn to adjust in a big family”, Anasuya worried about her daughter. Her husband sighed as if in agreement, gazing at the night sky, lying on his bed.

“I heard they are very well-off. Kamala will be very happy with them. She is intelligent, humble and sings so well. Soon she will make a good impression on her in-laws”, he said finally, shrugging off his worry.  

Kamala was 14 years old when her parents decided to get her married.  She was not quite sure whether she wanted to get married or study further. She grew up watching the other girls in her village getting married at around the same age and thought that was the right thing to do. She was going to miss school though. When she was not in school, she was in the cow shed singing to the cattle or in the backyard playing with her friends. She was very fond of her parents and her village Pedapalli.

“I will miss my friends and my siblings, and the rich and frothy milk that amma gives me every morning and evening”, Kamala said aloud to her friend Andallu one evening. That was the last evening she was permitted to play with her friends before the wedding.

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“I don’t like coffee much. I always used to drink milk from my favourite cup at home,” Kamala said to her mother-in-law.

“Oh! But you are now married. Here everyone drinks coffee.”Lakshmamma said to Kamala, her voice a little stern. “You know you are the daughter-in-law of the house now. You should make the family happy, serve them what they love the most”, she added.

“Yes I know. My mother told me about it.”

“Oh that’s nice. I heard a lot about your parents. Your father is a kind man. He has a very good name in our community. He taught his children well too.”

Kamala beamed hearing her father being appreciated. She was very proud of her parents. She decided immediately that she would work hard to make her parents proud of her too.

“Do you know how to make good filter coffee?” Kamala was shaken out of her deep thoughts with Lakshmamma’s voice next to her.

“Hmm, no I don’t like the taste of coffee. In fact I hate coffee. My mother used to give me fresh milk in my favourite brass tumbler every morning before I went to school.” Kamala replied a little shy.

“Well, now that you are part of this family, you should learn how to make coffee. Your father-in-law and your husband need good coffee every morning. How will you make good coffee when you don’t know how it tastes?Tomorrow morning wake up early and I will teach you how to roast coffee beans and make good filter coffee.”

 Kamala listened intently taking in the instructions obediently nodding her head.

“And you need to stop drinking milk and start drinking coffee. Otherwise you cannot make good coffee for your family”.

And Kamala lived happily ever after…