Aviyal

"So, my boys - I have one more story for you tonight. Then, its time for bed - and really this time."

Bhima rolled his eyes as the three boys around him groaned dramatically.

"Oh, come now. New adventures await tomorrow and you need a full night of sleep! But for now- let me tell you about my favorite recipe: aviyal!"

The boys twittered excitedly. They had had this dish before, and knew that it was one of their father's favorites. Now it was time to learn the story!

"One day at the court, I was working in the kitchens when I felt my heart begin to beat faster. My palms started sweating, my vision was blurring, and my head was spinning! Something was dreadfully wrong." Bhima began his story with a low and gravelly voice. The boys around him immediately hushed and looked at him with entranced eyes as big as saucers.

"The next thing I knew, there was a bag over my head, and I was being carried somewhere. Soon, the feeling of falling and then I was cold - oh so dreadfully cold. And wet."

"Wet?" asked Sarvaga, now more confused than entranced.

"Wet," replied Bhima. "I was at the bottom of a river! You see, Kichaka's allies were trying to exact their revenge and -"

"Wait, Papa. Who is Kichaka?" interrupted Ghatotkatcha.

"Ah. Ummmm...... yes. Well. " Bhima cleared his throat uncomfortably. "That will be a story for another time. Maybe when you're older. Shall we just say that the man died a rather embarrassing death and that you should never get on Draupadi's bad side."

The boys glanced at one another, their interest now thoroughly spiked. But extracting this story from their father sounded like a battle for another night. For now, they were content to hear more about the predicament their father had found himself in so many years ago.

"Well, as I was saying," Bhima continued, "Kichaka's men had been trying to get revenge on me by poisoning my breakfast and then throwing me into a river full of poisonous snakes! Little did they know, however, that when the snakes bit me, their venom neutralized the poison with which they had laced my morning porridge!" Bhima chuckled, the movement bouncing Sutasoma who had begun to doze on Bhima's lap. He yawned and snuggled closer, and Bhima continued his story in hushed tones.

"I stayed almost a week at the bottom of the river - the naga-king there was related to your grandmother Kunti and was very hospitable. Plus, the snake venom was slowly giving me immunity to all poisons and was making me even stronger!" Bhima made a show of flexing his bicep, causing Ghatotkatcha and Sarvaga roll their eyes and exchange glances.

"Now imagine my surprise when I finally made my way back to the court and there was a funeral feast being prepared! I was overjoyed, my boys! The snake kingdom had restored my strength, but now I needed to fill my belly! King Virata tried to cancel the feast, seeing as that I was alive and all, but I would have none of it. I took my rightful place back in the kitchens and got to work. Now, the ingredients were helter-skelter and I was hungry enough not to want to spend ages cooking, so I just grabbed it all and put it into a pot. Moringa, yam, banana, beans, cucumber, potato, cucumber, tindora, mango, carrot, yogurt, curry leaves, you name it! If it was there, it went in. It cooked until everything was tender and then got served with rice. My, it was good!"

The boys looked at each other, amazed at the list of ingredients that went into one of their favorite dishes. But it was hard to argue that it was, indeed, delicious.

"Well, boys. That's as much storytelling as I can muster for tonight, and it is far past time for bed!"

Sutasoma was now snoring ever so gently on Bhima's chest while the other two made a show of trying to protest. But Bhima could see their eyelids drooping, and their attempts to extract more stories were both half-hearted and short-lived.

"Come now," Bhima began as he slowly lowered Sutasoma onto the pillows. "Without your sleep and your energy, how will you create your own stories to tell to your children?"

Bhima covered his three boys under the same blanket, and his heart swelled as he saw them cuddle together beneath it. Now, only Ghatotkatcha was awake enough to be listening. Bhima picked up the candle that had been sitting beside the bed and lighting the room.

"I promise to make you all a fantastic breakfast tomorrow."

And he blew out the flame.