At around 5 am in the chilled, foggy morning my eyes opened, as usual I was expecting to see my mom next to me, but to my surprise I saw my friend Chetan sleeping next to me, I re-gazed at him and realised that I am sleeping in the bus couch returning from an awesome school trip to Hyderabad to my school at Toranagallu. It was a ‘WOW’ feeling. I again curled into my quill and closed my eyes with a smile excited to share my experience with my Mom, ad and granny. At around 7 am…. PT Teacher Vishwaradhya “Aditya…… Chetan…… wake up, get going we are back to schoooooooooool” I lazily opened my eyes yawning and twisting my body with……”no………..hoo………………” suddenly I see my teacher Vishwaradhya Sir looking at me, abruptly I stood up and said “ sorry sir”. Teacher Vishwaradhya “Its ok dear…. Collect your bags and belongings and rush home” We all alighted from the bus with full of chill pill. The school ground was crowded with parents searching for their kids. I couldn’t see my parents but no worry, as my home was very near to school (We were staying in the beautiful Township of the company where my mother was employed and I was studying in the school which was in the same complex). I was on my way to home, wiggling slowly, meanwhile someone pats on my back, when turned around I see one of my neighbouring uncle (grandfather of my friend) he said “heh! Baddy, u became a big brother, you got a sister” I was like “WOW”, it was the happiest moment of my life. The happiness was overwhelming. I didn’t stop for a while and just took off like a jet saying “Wow!… uncle really, thanks bye….bye…. bye…”. I rushed to my home. My grandmother (paternal) was standing out of the door waiting for my arrival. I rushed to her asking “where is my sister, my mom” she gave me a tight hug and kissed on my forehead and said “they are at Hubli (my maternal grandparents place which is 180 km away from my place of dwelling)”. I just jumped in and grabbed my granny’s mobile which she always keeps beneath her pillow and rang up to my mom. My papa received the call and soon he said ‘Hello’ I said “where is my sister? Give her I want to hear her voice. I don’t know what dad did to her she started crying I could hear the ‘Keeeee, keeeee, keeeee’ the sweet (then) sound of hers. My papa gave the mobile to my mom. Mom “back from trip? How was it…...?” I said mom “all good, all good, tell me when did my cutie pie come, how did she come and where, how she looks? Mom: “Take breath…, she just resembles you….., rest of the things I’ll tell you when you come to see her.. ok…… Now its time to get ready for school”. I saw time and said “Oh! No… mom getting late, bye mom, love u, love u” looks dad disconnected the mobile. I hurriedly brushed, went to bathroom to take bath. When I finished bath and came out, the home was filled with tempting flavour of delicious and spicy food. I could not resist myself and jumped to dining table. Here starts my story of ‘Brinjal’. I saw spicy brinjal chips and two chapatti rolls. I grabbed one chips and started munching, it was simply awesome. The rolls also were stuffed with brinjal chips and were mouth- watering. I finished my breakfast just in 5 minutes. My granny by then had packed my lunch box, filled my water bottle and placed in my bag. I left for school saying bye to granny. The first half of the day went in chit chatting about the trip, none of us were mentally present in class. It was lunch time; we all went to wash our hands in bunches. We sat in groups as usual to have our lunch. Soon I opened my lunch box everyone was like inhaling deeply… Chetan: “Adi what a spicy flavor”, Samartha ‘vangi bhath’ (brinjal fried riece) rushed to my lunch box and took a bite, “Wow! what a taste” in two minutes my lunch box was empty as everyone jumped to my box. I could just taste it and it was mouth-watering. However, I took one or two bites from everyone’s’ box and made up my lunch for that day. Evening on returning home I again called up mom, listened to my sister’s “kiii, kiiii”, told my mom about my experience at school trip, my lunch experience etc and closed my conversation. Before I went out for play I told Grany to make the same ‘vangi bhath’ as I couldn’t have it in the afternoon. The next day morning by the time I opened my eyes my granny had already finished her Pooja and was in kitchen. when I came for breakfast there was ‘Alloo, Baingan’ (potato and brinjal) curry with puffy ‘puries’. Tasted awesome. Afternoon at school when I opened my lunch box there was ‘Baingan ka Bharta’ (roasted branjal gravy) with chapatti which everyone loved. In the night granny asked me what I want for dinner, I said sambar rice, she said ok……….. I and my granny sat for dinner in the night. I helped her by taking water, plates, spoons etc and she served the food. Rice with sambar. The sambar was full of veggies and I could see brinjal peeping out. I said ok……. No issues however whatever granny prepares will be simply delicious. She always used to spoon feed me every night. However, as she was already tired I said her to have her dinner and I had on my won. Night we slept together chit chatting about my cute little sister and sharing days’ experience. I got up and after my daily routine came to dining table. My granny came and served breakfast for me. Dosa and brinjal bonda. I had the dosa and as she would feel bad if I don’t finish everything I took the brinjal bondas and left for school. In the afternoon I was scared to open my lunch box as I was worried if brinjal comes out. I slowly opened my box and it was Pongal. I thanked God. then I saw one more small box in my bag, when opened I saw crispy bringal snacks. I just shared that with my friends and emptied my box. Back home in the evening, Granny said “today papa will come, I need to cook dinner for him plz get me some veggies and fruits from shopping complex” I asked her what and all she wants and took my stylish gear cycle which my papa had gifted me on my birthday and went to shop. I purchased everything except brinjal which she had specifically told to bring. I did not mind to lie her that brinjals were not available in any of the shops. I told her lie and she was like “okay”. Night my father came at around 7 pm and we all had a nice talk for about 2 hours thereafter my granny said let’s have dinner and sleep early. I was very happy that I would not be served with brinjal today. For my surprize when I saw my plate it had ‘bharva baingan’ (whole brinjals stuffed with spices and fried in oil). I asked granny how did you get the brinjals? She said “from our backyard farming” as the brinjals were very small, I asked you to get few. Anyways small ones are best suited for ‘bharva Baingan’. It was tasting good but I didn’t want brinjal. I said “granny tomorrow make curd rice for my lunch box and breakfast I will have bread and jam. You will get tired by cooking so many items, take rest for the day. Granny “no dear I love to cook; you don’t worry I make something good for you” I said “Granny no brinjal” Granny “did my food taste bad, was it not good? (with a feeling of sadness as if she is unable to fulfil my mother’s absence) I suddenly realised and said “no granny it was simply awesome, I said because my friends would eat up my whole box if you make spicy dishes of brinjal, you cook whatever you can, I love the food you cook”. That night I slept with papa. The brinjal story went on for 20 days, every now and then brinjal was to appear in my plate. I was irritated of it. I asked my dad “papa, why do granny love brinjal so much?” He got tears in his eyes and said at times when we were in village my father was the only earning hand. He had a field where he used to farm at that time we all were in school. It was a dry land no irrigation, no cannel connectivity. We were totally dependent on rains and hence our father hardly could meet our daily needs. Your granny was very wise she had grown many veggies in the backyard like chilly, brinjal, coriander, green leafy vegetables etc. which she used to cook. The fastest growing veggie was brinjal and with that she was to try every taste. After sometime my bad managed to dig a bore in the field he made money, he purchased many acres of land and we grew rich but your granny’s love for brinjal never changed. I too got tears in my eyes. Suddenly granny came from outside I hugged her and said “granny can I help you today in cooking brinjal” She was very happy and we together cooked food…. of course with brinjal. My father knew that I am fed up of brinjal but didn’t wanted to tell granny. Hence every now and then he took me and granny to nearby restaurant and made us have other than brinjal. Finally, after 1 and a half months my mom came back home. During this period, I had visited her only once on a Sunday. After my mom came The Brinjal Story saw a happy ending. After about few days of my mother’s arrival like the brinjal, the sweet sounding “ki..ki..” of my cute sister had become a noise for me. However, I tried to love it as the brinjal story taught me that “if you love someone learn to tolerate”.