“Shyam, learn how to make a patraval (leaf plate). If you don’t, you won’t get food today. Remember that,” Aai said.

“I don’t know how to make a patraval. I won’t make one,” Shyam replied angrily.

“Shyam, I’ll teach you how to make a patraval. What’s so difficult about it?” said his elder sister, who had come home after her marriage.

“I don’t want you to teach me,” Shyam snapped back, sulking.

In those days, many children didn’t know how to make patravals. Steel plates were not common then. Most people used patravals made from banana leaves for eating and serving food. They would also use leaves from the palmyra or jackfruit trees, stitching them together skillfully to make round plates suitable for meals. This was an art in itself. The plates had to be stitched so well that they wouldn’t come apart while eating. Each meal required a fresh patraval. Eat, throw it away, and go outside. There was no need to wash or scrub plates.

Shyam’s father was skilled at making patravals. On his way back from the fields, he would collect flowers for God,

They would bring leaves to make patravalis (leaf plates). The children, after returning from school, would sit down to make patravalis. Along with patravalis, they would also make small leaf bowls (donas). All of these were used daily. Everyone in the house would sit together to make patravalis and donas. Patravalis and donas were essential in the Konkan region. It seemed necessary for Shyam to learn this skill, so his mother told him to make patravalis. But he did not want to do this work. He was a little stubborn.

Even after being told, he did not make the patravali, nor did he ask for one. Everyone else took their own patravali and ate. Shyam remained hungry. Akka—Shyam’s elder sister—felt sorry for him. She took his side. “He was making patravalis for everyone else. Today, you give him yours,” she pleaded with their mother. But Shyam was not ready to listen.

“I haven’t made a patravali. If I don’t get one to eat on, I’ll go hungry. I’ll stay hungry,” he said angrily, and went outside to sit on the verandah. He was hungry, and kept looking to see if anyone would come to coax him. After a while, Akka came again. Her heart melted for her little brother, and she set aside her pride. She said to Shyam, “Shyam, come and eat. If I had gone to someone else’s house today, would you have found anyone to coax you? Come, get up. Make a small patravali and come eat.”

Those loving words from his sister melted Shyam’s heart like butter. He felt bad that, in the two days since she had come home, he had not behaved well with her. Tears came to his eyes. She brought him leaves and a needle...

She handed it over. Shyam, as best as he could, made a small patravali (leaf plate). Taking the patravali, he