Beauty Pageants & Moms

Beauty Pageants brings the most beautiful people around the globe onto a single platform. The competitions are known for being hosted at exotic locations. The pageants are famous for grandeur, associated celebrities, renowned sponsors, elite people as part of the panel, elaborate stage, everything to do with glitz & glamour. The participants are graded & judged based on their physical appearance, talent, costumes, intelligence, etc. The final round is to gauge the participant's intelligence in answering the questions posed by judges. It is a small window of opportunity for the contestants to expose their inner beauty to the audience around the world. The winner is chosen based on their answers & crowned. Several Indian participants have won the long-running & most prestigious of such contests over the years. Such competitions sow seeds in the next generation to participate & win.

A ten-year-old Ritu was glued to the TV set & was mesmerised by the winner's beauty. She swelled with pride that an Indian had won. There were no bounds to her happiness & she jumped around in excitement. Rekha yelled at her daughter, "Ritu, tomorrow you have to go to school, enough of TV. Turn it off & go to bed." Ritu thought, just now that lady won the pageant answering about her mother & look at mine! She obeyed her mother, but the excitement did not die down. While in bed, she reran the pageant in her mind & smiled to sleep. The next day at school, she discussed the extravagant costumes, elaborate organization, the shiny crystal crown, the sash & everything else. She couldn't get enough of it.

A couple of weeks later, Ritu was thrilled to visit her Aunt Kumudini & family. On arrival, she went about to search for her elder cousin. When Ritu saw Kanika, she ran up to her & hugged her. After exchanging pleasantries, Ritu asked Kanika, "Akka, did you watch the beauty contest?" Kanika replied, "Na, I checked it in the newspaper the next day. I watched the last round on repeat telecast." Ritu was disappointed & questioned, "An Indian won the competition. How could you miss it?" Kanika smirked & replied, "I'm from the era when Indian women won multiple contests the same year. Also, a former winner studied in the same college as me. So don't tell me about it."

Ritu ignored the comment & exclaimed, "I cannot believe that her final answer was about her mother & she won." Kanika smiled & stated, "Baby, any answers around mother, Mother Teresa, world peace & saving someone else's life over yours, always bags the prize. My friend Arjun & I have tried it in my college & office competitions. It always works." As the banter continued, Kanika observed that Ritu had lost weight. Ritu was only bone & skin, no trace of flesh. Kanika enquired her aunt, "Rekha Aunty, why has Ritu lost so much weight?" Rekha replied in a condescending tone, "Why don't you ask the lovely pampered cousin?"

Kanika turned towards Ritu with a questioned look. Ritu made a puppy face & replied, "I don't like the food Amma cooks. I don't eat it." Kanika's jaw dropped & turned at her aunt. Rekha sighed & stated, "She is not fond of the typical South Indian food. I cannot afford to cook fancy food & snacks daily. I have to attend to the other two daughters & your uncle. My house is on fire in the mornings."

Kanika turned to Ritu & said, "Baby, Amma cannot cook Puri & Channa daily. We have all eaten the same South Indian cuisine growing up, till today. You can ask my Amma. On birthdays, festivals & on special occasions you get to savour some finger-licking food. Across the world, so many kids cannot afford a single meal. You are getting three meals & snacks daily. You are so lucky!" Ritu smirked & stated, "My friends get fancy lunch & snacks daily. I don't want to eat what Amma cooks. I have heard this so many times. About kids' stories of starving. What can I do about that?"

Rekha's eyes teared up. She quickly turned away & walked into the kitchen to help her sister Kumudini. Kanika was quick to catch her aunt's swelled eyes. She was shocked by her little cousin's response. She could not come to terms that a young kid could be so articulate without a hint of fear or hesitation. At the same time, Ritu continued to talk about her school activities. Kanika sat quietly & tried to digest what she had heard.

From a busy kitchen, Kumudini carried a tray full of onion bhajis & tea for all. Ritu enquired, "What bhajis are these?" Kumudini replied, "Onion bhaji, it's crispy & hot, have it." Ritu cringed & responded, "Yuck! I don't like onions." Kumudini tried to coax Ritu; she did not budge. Rekha then walked out with a plate of potato bhajis. Ritu wasted no time & dived into it. Kanika asked, "Oh, Potato goes in without any fuss?" Ritu grinned & munched on the bhajis. Rekha replied, "Potato is the only thing she does not complain about."

Kanika's eyebrows knotted. She questioned Ritu," If you eat only potatoes, how are you so thin?" Ritu replied, "Potato has starch; it gets stored in my body. When I don't eat, my body uses this storage. Also, Amma doesn't cook Potato every day." Kanika was stumped again. She questioned, "How do you even know such stuff?" Ritu coolly responded, "My teacher told me about Potatoes when we went through the 'Roots & Stems' lesson." Kanika sharply questioned, "Oh, did your teacher also say, don't eat what your mother cooks?" Ritu's only nodded a no, for potato bhaji had encroached her mouth completely. Kumudini yelled at Kanika, "Why are you so hell-bent upon finding faults with the little child?" Kanika thought, "This one? A little child?" Kanika's head started to ache slightly. She could not make peace that kids are so outspoken & can glorify an excuse as a genuine reason.

Kanika thought for some time & said, "Rekha Aunty, you may not like this solution, but I don't see any other option." All heads turned towards Kanika with a puzzled look. Kanika asked, "Baby, why don't you shift to your friend's house? I'll ask your parents to pay them some money as boarding & food charges. You get to eat fancy food & my aunt has less stress." Confused, Ritu responded, "Akka, how can I go there & stay?" Kanika answered, "I'll convince your parents & your friends' parents. Give me the number; I'll call them right away." She extended her hand towards her aunt. Rekha & Kumudini were confused & did not know how to react.

Ritu was shaken & asked, "Akka, how will I communicate with them? What if there are other problems?" Kanika replied, "I'm sure your friend's parents know English. If not, you can communicate through your friend to the friend's parents. What problems can arise at your age? Anyways at home, you fight with your sisters; from now on, that won't be a problem." Ritu struggled to keep the argument. Eventually, she resigned, saying, "Akka, I don't want to go to my friend's place."

Kanika stated, "Alright, then the last option is to put you in boarding school. You can make new friends there. Your friends & your eating, sleeping, playing habits & time will all be the same. No problems will come up in a hostel." Kanika turned towards her aunt & said, "Aunty, I will talk to uncle. We can check for hostels nearby in case you want to visit her." Kanika started to check for hostels nearby on her phone. At the same time, Rekha's face had turned grim & Ritu's face colour drained. Kumudini was angry at Kanika for pressuring the poor child. She looked at Kanika with widened eyes; Kanika blinked slowly, conveying, hold on.

Ritu panicked & questioned, "How can I go to a hostel? What will happen if I fall sick?" Kanika replied, "What's that supposed to mean? We only have to pay fees; they will take you in. The hostel has an infirmary to take care of sick kids. You will be in good hands. Don't worry." Ritu enquired, "Akka, when I fall sick, Amma cooks different food to suit me. Even if she is not well, she cooks rasam & soups." Kanika dismissed it, "Once in a while you fall sick, that food is your worry or the fancy daily food? In a hostel, all of you will have the same food, accommodation, class, toys & everything else. So, nothing to compare with your friend & feel jealous. There will be no room to complain." Rekha watched the conversation quietly.

Ritu was not going to heed, but she had nothing else to say. She started to cry loudly. Kumudini yelled at Kanika, "Why are you making the poor child cry?" Kanika sternly responded, "Mothers like you pamper & spoil the child. Please don't take her side. She was the one complaining about the food. Now, we are giving her what she wants & she is crying." Kanika questioned Ritu, "Now why are you crying?" Ritu spoke, "Akka, in a hostel, I have to do all my chores. I have to wash my clothes, wash my hair, comb & plait it by myself. At home, Amma takes care of everything." Kanika quickly replied, "So? All those chores don't matter. You get to be with your friends & eat the same food. That's the important part."

Ritu continued to sob with her palms covering her face. Kumudini was furious with Kanika & gave the scariest stare. Kanika continued to beat up Ritu with words, "You don't like what your mom cooks. You compare with your friend's food & not eat. You don't want to be at your friend's place. Now you don't want to be a hostel too. What else to do?" Ritu surrendered & stated, "No, Akka, I will stay at home with my parents. I will eat whatever Amma cooks." Kanika stringently said, "No way, you made your choice. Your mother is also convinced & I have found a hostel that's 2hrs away. You have to go." Defeated, Ritu looked towards her mother for help.

Kanika said, "Don't you look at your mother for any help." Ritu cried inconsolably. Kumudini hugged the poor child & yelled at Kanika. Rekha was too stunned to react at all. Finally, Kanika questioned, "Now do you understand why she won the competition?" Ritu raised her head & it dawned on her. Kanika chrome cast the final question video snippet onto the TV set. It was critical for the message to be branded onto Ritu's mind. At the same time, it was essential for Kumudini & Rekha (mothers) to remind them of the daily sacrifice in the name of being a mother. Also, to realise how much attention, honour, respect, love & affection they deserve.

Take Away:

• God is omnipresent in the form of a mother. Only in her absence does one understand & realise the depth of her presence & value.

• As depicted in the image above, ideally, every mother should be crowned at the end of each day.