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She was eager to see the comments on the selfie that she had posted the previous day.

Imagine, sitting with an old woman who was like a frozen caveman when it came to
technology. She paced up and down. Granny called out, ‘And young lady, do you want to
skip your breakfast too?’

Aloud, Malini asked, ‘Well, what’s for breakfast? I would like to have some pasta or
noodles.’ Granny laughed out loud. ‘Breakfast is hot idli with piping sambhar, but for that
you will need to water the plants.’ Oh boy! This old lady was surely getting on Malini’s
nerves, ‘What? You think I am your gardener?’

Granny went off to the garden to water the plants.

By now, Malini was super exasperated.

What was this old lady up to?

‘She wants me to slog all day in her stupid garden for stale idlis and watery sambhar. I
am not going to do that,’ she thought.
She sat in the only chair that the house had with a big face.

Soon it was lunch time and Malini had not moved an inch from the chair.

Granny called out to Malini. ‘Do you at least want some lunch?’ Malini retorted angrily,
‘Nope. I don’t. I know what would be on your menu and what tasks you would give me
for that.’

Granny’s toothless smile fanned the flames more. ‘So, you’re going to skip lunch too.
Malini was extremely hungry by now. She

said, ‘Well, not really. What do you want
me to do’?
Granny placed a reassuring hand on

Malini’s shoulders and said, ‘You will
need to clean the house and do the dishes.’

This time around Malini didn’t protest.
There was no point in protesting. She took
the broom and swept the house.

exasperated: made somebody angry
slog: to work hard for a long period
retorted: replied quickly to what somebody says, in an
angry or amusing way
fanned the flames: made a dangerous or unpleasant
mood or situation worse
reassuring: making you feel less worried

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