#AbHarWishHogiPoori with Flipkart

 

I love family reunions. There is nothing more fun than bringing your loved ones, who now stay afar, together under one roof. Old photo albums are dusted and passed around bringing afore bittersweet memories, conversations turn to gossip, there is banter in every corner and the evening ends with a promise to meet soon. I love these moments spent with my parents and siblings, who I rarely visit since marital responsibilities take up a lot of time. A camera chosen by Shubham, made me think about the beautiful moments we create when we get together and how I need to make the evening extra special for my dad who loves to cook. Yes, a family reunion was around the corner and I realized that dad, who has relentlessly given up many dreams, so that we could fulfill ours, should be made the star of the evening, as it was his birthday soon. Even in childhood he was always in a good mood whenever he cooked for us. One day, when I was a teenager he sat me down and told me “Always pursue your dreams, even if no one understands you at first”. That day, he also revealed to me that he wanted to start his own restaurant but family responsibilities forced him to take up a regular job. No wonder, I thought, he’s always happy when he cooks. Ma had to drive him out of the kitchen sometimes and I remember eating more meals made by my dad than mom.

I started planning the special day and rummaged through local stores but nothing came to mind. Bored, I sat back with a hot cup of tea and fiddled with my phone and started browsing the Flipkart app. Then I saw it – Nano Charcoal BBQ Grill priced at INR 2550/- only. This compact BBQ grill was perfect for the casual and fun filled family reunion party and had every that would help dad grill his famous handmade burgers that we all love. When we were kids, dad used to ask me to invite my friends over and make us mini burgers that would be tastier than any fast food chain in the country.

The BBQ grill arrived neatly packed and carefully, I set it up on my small patio. A few colorful tablemats, flowers and lights built the ambience. The doorbell rang and my sister arrived with a few pre-marinated meats as I had already told her about my plan. We set up the grill and waited for my parents to arrive. As soon as they walked in, we could hardly control our excitement. My mom started quizzing me about the food that will be served that evening and I kept smiling through her questions. Finally, after a while we led out dad to the beautifully set outdoor area. The grill stood in the corner, all new and shiny with an ice bucket full of his favorite drink. As he started moving towards the grill, we started singing “Daddy’s Little Girl” in chorus. A small placard read “To the man who made us gather fondest memories around the dinner table” and he was overwhelmed.

That day, we ate the most delicious food gathered as a family. My dad literally had us eating out of his hands :) after dinner, I sneaked into the patio and cleaned up the grill and packed it in the laptop carry bag that it came along with. As my parents started saying their goodbyes, we handed over the BBQ Grill to my dad and told him to pursue his passion of creating new recipes. So what if he could not open his own restaurant sooner…he could still craft new recipes for his loved ones and spread happiness all around him. Maybe one day, his big dream may come true but for now #AbHarWishHogiPoori.