The Obligations though!

Why on earth was I even obligated to bake this loaf of sourdough bread—and that too with bran and even from a starter I even tried making myself, when I don’t even know what sourdough is even supposed to taste like? I can’t even believe I did this. Too many even-s! Still here we are. Presenting you my first (and probably last) even ever sourdough bread loaf:

Anyway, the story goes like this: after watching countless Instagram reels, I, in my infinite wisdom, decided to try making sourdough bread. But seriously, if I had to make bread, why not just use ready-made yeast? Maybe start with a simple loaf first, sister? And what do I even know about the taste of sourdough? Have I ever eaten it before? No, right? Then why on earth did I feel the need to go through all this trouble?

Well, in my defense, I felt obligated. The wannabe chef, baker, and self-proclaimed expert at making everything from scratch... This is exactly what happens when you binge-watch bakers' reels.

That was, of course, on a lighter note— and to be fair, it was a productive hobby, nothing inherently bad about it. But oh boy, the struggles! No clue about the process, no idea about the taste, let alone the texture —why put myself through this humiliation? And on top of that, I was fasting, there was a gathering at home, and I was stressing over whether my starter was even working. The whole cycle of feeding it, checking it—ugh, the headache! Hats off to sourdough bakers though!!!

So, we were talking about obligation… The thing is, one way or another, people do end up feeling obligated, right?

Now, there’s this new trend going around—farshi shalwar! Yes, a type of very wide legged trouser with an even wider hem that just drags around your feet. It’s actually a fashion from our mothers’ era, but thanks to Instagram reels, it’s making a massive comeback, at least in Pakistan, and maybe in India too. Well, even men from that era used to don this farshi shalwar — literally meaning "earthy trouser." Lol, a trouser that drags on the ground as you walk. Ever heard of anything like this???

And soon enough, this will become an obligation as well. Even if you end up looking like a walking disaster in it… or spend your time tripping over yourself.

For now, I have no intention of wearing or getting this stitched… I have zero desire to look like Doraemon...

But do you guys know who Doraemon is actually? It’s a cartoon character from a famous Japanese anime, basically, a blue, chubby robot cat with a round face and no ears. Now, I’m not going to tell you who would call me Doraemon if I did wear these trousers… but let’s just say, certain people in my life would not hold back. Yes!!!

But if it becomes an obligation, well… then there won’t be much I can say, will there? I’d just have to accept my fate and waddle around like a blue, oversized anime character. Try to understand my struggle.

But if it becomes an obligation, well… then there won’t be much I can say, will there? Try to understand.

Obligation is a funny thing, though. It’s like that old saying our elders used to repeat: Agar kisi ka moonh laal ho, toh apna thappar maar ke nahi karte! (If someone’s face is red, you don’t slap yourself to match it!) But somehow, life finds a way to make us feel like we have to follow along, whether it makes sense or not.

Alright, alright, now you’ll probably say, "No, no, we’re not like that. We only do what we truly believe is right." Fine, I’ll take your word for it… But hand on heart, tell me—have you never done something purely out of obligation? Not even once? Really??? I find that very hard to believe… But okay, I’ll let it slide.

And that sourdough bread… Completely inedible. It was way too sour. So much so that even the crows and sparrows went, "No, ma’am, not happening. We ain't eating this thing. Please, spare us."

So, no matter how obligatory it gets… No more sourdough bread. Not at any cost.

---

---

So, this was the keyword: yes, you guessed it right, obligation from weisser-rabe in our Dream Steem this week. And now, you are almost obligated to write under the context. 😉