My Malum Malus

 Malum malus transliterates to "forbidden fruit". Biblically the apple, in Modakam it is the Mango.

My love for mangoes runs in my genes, even my red blood cells in the mango season must be transforming from the red biconcave shaped discs to a beautiful mango hued and shaped discs

When we bought land to build our home, I envisioned more of a mango orchard than a brick n mortar thingy. But reality of high land prices and hence smaller land parcel, with the myth busted about gardening is relaxing, I secured place for 2 mango trees. On one of our road trips across the border when mango fruit laden trees arched over the highways, I wanted to make a small detour to buy a mango graft from Regional fruit research station 'https://dbskkv.org/Research/Research_Stations_&_Organogram.html'

The detour became a wild goose chase quickly , me intoxicated with the mango viusals failed to see my incensed husband. After going round in circles ( real men don't ask for directions) and Google maps giving up, we finally stopped a couple to ask for directions. They had no clue about this Trip advisor recommended 5 star rating research station. Amol had reached his tipping point and referred to me as a "bin dok" to the couple, who BTW later took the turn right across the creeper camouflaged  gate of the research station. Maybe he took the liberty because I don't know Marathi, or he was really tired after a day long drive , I was a woman scorned and hell no, I did not spare any fury on that journey. We did end up at the gates of the research station 3 minutes later and 5 minutes before it closed and bought 2 "mancurad" mango grafts .

Eager to make up, Amol signed up for ,"OK I will do anything to just end this misery". My mother in law always promoted Amol as the son with the green fingers. I thought it was time to get this fact checked. So 2 days after the "bin dok" incident, we were in our garden with the pick axe and shovel to plant our precarious procurement . Now when my in laws do things as a team they are a picture of love , respect for each other, harmony etc...one can even hear violins play in the background. My father in law will adjust, readjust, do, undo, and again adjust and readjust without a gruff at my mother in laws behest. Either I have not yet picked up the art of asking husband , or the "do not grudge the wife" gene did not get passed down from my father in law, I can't put my finger on our problem. From the moment the axe hit the ground, Amol must have not raked up as much earth as much he must have cursed me. I soldiered on bravely as I believe in we can settle scores later as long as task at hand is completed successfully.

I left the other sapling for another day of disagreement. My in laws eager to rescue their son, planted it without breaking a sweat and yes, with the fiddles playing in the background.

3 years later

cursed sapling- It grew haltingly, grudgingly, survived mouldy attacks                                                      rescued sapling - Grew rapidly green, Got uprooted one stormy night and could not be further rescued

5 years later

The research station and my internet research promised fruits of my labour in 5 years time. I had my eyes set on our tree, every year (what if mine was a plant prodigy and an early bloomer) from the first day I heard the cuckoo sing, signaling the mango flowering season to the onset of monsoon, end of fruiting season. Nothing happened.

 Old aunts asked us to threaten the plant . Apparently the plant will get scared and give fruits. But our plant was born into abuse.  Verbal and physical abuse(Adi made deep gashes on it's trunk to force it to fruit)  had no effect on it. Waving a burning torch only left 'burnol' degree burns on my palm but the tree stood its ground.

I tried to set it up against competition...our neighbour's plant, 2 years younger than you has flowered. What are you waiting for?

I tried emotional blackmailing...we will all get diabetic and cannot eat your fruits. What is even the point of your bounty then?

I tried the sibling love trick...Adi Bhaiya will go to college ...whom will you share your fruits with?

I am an Indian mother of a teenager. I stop at nothing 

saam daam dhand bhed.....

every trick tried

and lo behold 

early in the morning while chopping feed for my menagerie , I caught sight of  mango flowers filtering in the sunrays. An imaginary cuckoo sang gaily in the background for effect. The moment was ethereal. I ran inside the house to share this new discovery akin to Archimedes ( he ran naked, I ran in clothes covered in chicken shit).

I bang down the bathroom door with  excitement.

The "bin dok" moment returns

Amol answers with a thud. He slipped while getting the door. He barks a few expletives at me. My face falls. I called my mango tree the evil spawn

My mango tree is really cursed

From birth  to ground, from ground to flowering. Wonder what the fruits would bring ...Malum Mangus definitely. will follow it up with another m-log

2 decades into marriage gives us ample opportunities to rant, but I have always been proud of the variety of subjects we agree to disagree upon. Yin and Yang. Of curses and kisses.

malum mangus has set the 2022 prevalentine prelude ........hopefully hint enough 

Bin Dokly Yours

Mango Maniac "Manaivi"