“Don't you think something about her is different? More responsive, more open than she's ever been?" "Ashna has always had too vulnerable a heart, Shobi. That's been the problem. She feels everyone's pain and internalizes it, and wants to take it away. I think the reason she's had such a hard time with you is that she didn't know what to do with yours. She finds your rage at the world too daunting. She blames herself for it.” Reasonable DoubtAshna RajeMother IssuesRepressed Feelings Book:Recipe for Persuasion Source: Recipe for Persuasion
“Winning the Padma Shri was never my goal. Helping people was." "Wow, so that's the part you decided to address in what I said?" Every single time her mother showed her where Ashna fell on her list of priorities it hurt as though it were the first time. How could she be so weak? Her mother sighed. "Don't you at least want to try to understand what my life's been like?" "I do understand. I was there, remember? Watching from eight thousand miles away." Because you left me. Over and over again. "I was forced into a marriage with your father." Not this again. "Thanks for sharing that. After overhearing your fights my entire childhood, you think I didn't figure that out myself?" She had heard those words innumerable times. "You didn't want Baba, you didn't want me. I know. You got stuck with us, and you did what you had to do to make sure you didn't lose yourself, to break the chains, to find your voice. All the things. Now look, Padma Shri! Boom! It all worked out. I'm proud of you and everything, but I'm not the 'Economic Status of Rural Women.' You can't fix me by putting the right systems in place." It was a little late for that.” Past RegretsAshna RajeMother Issues Book:Recipe for Persuasion Source: Recipe for Persuasion
“You know that I'm the owner of Curried Dreams, right? I inherited it as his wife." Her parents had never gotten divorced. Ashna remembered how guilty she had felt every time she prayed that they would. "I think it's time we sell it." Ashna dumped the paper towels in the garbage, hands shaking. The urge to press down, crush the garbage until it shrank to the bottom of the bin pushed inside her. "That's a new low, even for you." She gave in and jammed her hand into the garbage, pressing it down until it crushed and folded and smashed. "You already hate me. I might as well do what's right for you and risk you hating me more." "How is forcing me to give up my livelihood right for me?" She washed her hands to keep from shoving the garbage again. "If it weren't for Curried Dreams you would actually be looking for and doing something you enjoyed. You'd get out from that dark place your father thrust you into." Ashna was shaking now. All she wanted was to walk away. To crawl into bed. To get away from Shobi. The habit of walking away from things must be a hard one to break. Go to hell, Frederico Silva! "Curried Dreams is not a dark place. I can turn it around. I'm close to doing it." "You're not going to win that show. You don't even like being a chef! You can't win without passion." "Thanks, Mom. And not all of us are selfish enough to put ourselves and our damn passion before everything else!" Shobi gasped and Ashna sucked in her lips.” True PassionAshna RajeMother Issues Book:Recipe for Persuasion Source: Recipe for Persuasion
“I think you've forgotten what it means to be happy." Ashna sank down to her knees next to the tub. A stray hair marred the spotless floor. She picked it up and threw it in the garbage. "Are you going to say anything at all?" Ashna wanted to, but her words had a way of hiding away when they sensed Shobi's presence. "Ashna?" She couldn't tell if Shobi was reprimanding her or if that was concern in her voice. Not that she had any experience with recognizing concern in Shobi's voice. "You're wrong, Mom. You can only forget something you knew.” Ashna RajeMother IssuesBacktalk Book:Recipe for Persuasion Source: Recipe for Persuasion
“You have no idea how badly I wish you could see my life. Understand it. See me." "Across the thousands of miles you've always put between us?” Ashna RajeMother IssuesBacktalkDistance In Relationship Book:Recipe for Persuasion Source: Recipe for Persuasion
“You're moving on from Curried Dreams?" The almost gleeful hope in Shobi's voice strummed every one of Ashna's overstretched nerves. Baba's been dead for twelve years,she wanted to scream. You can stop fighting with him now. "No, I'm not. But I'm going to be on a competitive cooking show as a pro chef." Her voice sounded strong and clear for the first time since she'd heard Shobi's hello. She leaned in and met her own eyes in the mirror. "Reality TV? You?" The voice on the phone stretched between skepticism and outright disbelief. Shobi's favorite metaphorical chains stretched at the links around Ashna. "Yes. If I win I can pay down the debt on Curried Dreams. And no, I'm never giving up on it." The frustrated sound Shobi made was so delicious that for one lovely second Ashna didn't care about anything else.” Ashna RajeMother Issues Book:Recipe for Persuasion Source: Recipe for Persuasion