What a Paav!

 Tiĺl the age of 23- the only meaning i knew of paav was leg. Then I reached mumbai

Mumbai taught me that paav was a type pf bread that was had with vada in vada paav and with bhaji in paav bhaji.

Then I got married. And what does marriage have to do with paav? That too in the Iyer community?

In my life,  a lot.

Just back from our honeymoon, even as  I was settling into the new home and the new family, I am informed by my mil that I needed to go across the road to the bakery and get some paav. Its a crisp sunday morning and I tell her, OK, I will go after breakfast. She gently informs me , that is breakfast! For someone who has seen paav only outside the home, this is the mildest of the quakes. 

So I  bring in the warm soft paav home. I wonder with what it has to be eaten. I didnt see any bhaji. 

And lo and behold, my husband has replaced the dosa with the paav. There is dosa molgapodi and the til oil on the table to be eaten with the paav. Or rather the paav to be eaten with typical south indian accompaniments. I was duly informed that paav is highly accommodating and could be consumed with anything. As the first year of marriage chugged on, Paav was had , on most Sunday mornings with curd and sambar powder, with sambar , with moru kuzhambu, with dal or plain with it being lightly roasted in ghee. I ensured that I have my share of dosa batter in the frig, as I could never develop a taste for paav for breakfast.

As a young married couple   we were called for lunch to a friends house for lunch. The lady took me into her kitchen and showed me all her preparations. There were varieties of gravies amd curries. 

Ten minutes before lunch i realised both the husbands were missing. On enquiring I was informed that they went to  buy the ubiquitous paav  that was to be had with all the sumptuous curries she had prepared. Paav surely ruled roost here! 

My children religiously follow family tradition. They adore the paav for breakfast and can eat ot for lunch and dinner. Woe behold if one of them is not satiated with the number of paavs. Before every purchase,  a count is taken. This count is sacrosanct. You cant claim more than your share. You cant eat less and insult the paav.

I have survived the last two and half decades telling myself, Hold on to your dosas, you have nothing to lose but the paav! 

(Dinner today was Dahi Misal paav...sigh)