Is Cooking A Part Of A Woman’s DNA Or Is It Forced And Conditioned Upon Her?

Even today, several women are expected to be able to be able to cook a five course meal for the family after a long day at work. Will it ever change?

Does cooking come in the DNA of women? Or is it just their duty? A woman who can cook three meals a day for her family is considered ‘sarva guna sampanna.’ Her cooking defines her status and stand in the family. Before a marriage, while selecting a wife, the first question asked is, ‘Does she cook well?’ This is followed by the number of dishes she can cook. And based on these, the brides are chosen.

People are only concerned about her cooking skills, rather than her other skills or even ambitions or plans for her future. The men may not even know how to boil milk but they want women to know how to cook. She is a woman so she has no option but to know how to cook!

She works, she cooks and yet she only listens!

Even when a daughter-in-law does a job, like her husband, cooking comes under the women department as per their family. Because men entering a kitchen is against their ego. After returning from work, the son is supposed to take rest, and maybe watch TV, because he has worked for all day, and he must be tired.

At the same time, when the woman returns from work, she is supposed to make dinner and all for the family members. She is not allowed to take rest because if she rests then who will cook?

When she tries to get some help, she hears things like, ‘Pura din karti hi kya ho, office mein aaram to hota hai!’ (what even do you do all day, anyway. Office is all but rest.) ‘Khana to tumko hi banana padega, subah jaldi uth jaaya karo taki office se pehle khana complete bana sako!’ (you are the only one who has to cook. Wake up early and cook everything before leaving for the office!)

She may also hear these- ‘Raat to jaldi aa jaana, humko khane mein late ho wo pasand nahi, so time pe aake khana bana dena,’ (Come back early from work. We don’t like eating food so late.) ‘Har Sunday bahar kyu jaana hai khana khane, itna to kya problem hai tumko khana banana mein.’ (Why must we go out and eat every Sunday! What’s the issue in cooking everyday?)

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‘Didn’t your mom teach you anything?’

And when there is any issue with the cooking or any other chore done by the daughter in law, the first one to be blamed is her mother. She is asked, ‘Maa ne kuch sikha k nahi bheja kya?’ (Didn’t your mom teach you anything?)

Today’s woman is empowered and fierce, she is not ready to accept a single comment against herself, how can she be silent when it’s her mom? She has to speak at any cost. But when she speaks, she is considered as mannerless. Because women in the family, often, are not allowed to speak or even talk in loud voice. At such crucial times, it becomes her husband’s responsibility to manage the situation. However, if he fails to do so, women are left with no other choice.

Society needs to understand that a girl leaves everything behind when she marries, so at least give her some time to adjust. Give her time to understand her new family. The family, too, should understand, and adjust with new family member. These efforts should be two-sided only then, will peace prevail at home.

On every small point, if there are negative comments, it becomes almost impossible for a girl to live at such place. She expects that if she is leaving one home after marriage, she should get another one. And the home is where there is love and respect. I believe, if you are taking everything from her after marrying, at least try to give something in return.

Picture credits: Still from Bollywood movie Hum Saath Saath Hain

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