Kali Amma and The King!

Our family's conversations over filter coffee every morning are exciting discussions that cover anything from politics to gossip to recipes. Its a ritual we enjoy and can't do without. Especially when we critique someone's behaviour. This morning the victim was my mom.

According to the world...Amma is an elegant sophisticated and charming lady who is known for her grace, poise and patience. Someone who thinks before retaliating, never raises her voice and hardly flares up in anger. In brief a benevolent angel who can do no wrong.....

But my dad begs to differ...

When they have an argument, my mom takes Durga's or sometimes Kali's avatar. She retaliates vociferously and defends herself admirably-- and most of the time, wins the argument too. Poor Dad who has been labelled a "ferocious tiger" retreats like a beaten cat meowing back into his den.

I am usually a witness to Amma's kali avatars and this morning, I threatened to expose her "black" side to humanity. A victim of blackmail, my mom begged me not to "tell all". She reminded me of all her sacrifices in raising me and appealed to my gratitude. It didn't work.

Then she tried bribing. She promised to cook all my favorites and wait on me hand and foot like she did when I was in school. I still did not budge.

As a last ditch effort, she tried her final asthra -the brahmasthra. She said that if I truly loved my DAD, I wouldn't do it. "What is the connection?," I asked. Her reason-- spoken like a true pativrata-- exposing her kali avataar would also expose dad's saadhu avataar. Everyone who feared his ferocity would see him as the blue jackal who pretended to be king. Her mighty tiger would then be dethroned and she cant stand that.

That did it. To protect my dad's reputation , I reluctantly gave up blackmail.

Triumphant Amma still oscillates between benevolent Parvathy and angry Kali, and loyalist that I am -I still protect the King.