On weekdays, as soon as she picked Bela from the bus stop and brought her home, she went straight into the kitchen, washing up the morning dishes she'd ignored, then getting dinner started. She measured out the nightly cup of rice, letting it soak in a pan on the counter. She peeled onions and potatoes and picked through lentils and prepared another night's dinner, then fed Bela. She was never able to understand why this relatively unchallenging set of chores felt so relentless. When she was finished, she did not understand why they had depleted her
by Jhumpa Lahiri
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After picking up her daughter, Bela, from the bus stop on weekdays, the mother immediately entered the kitchen to tackle household chores. She washed the dishes from earlier, prepared ingredients for dinner, and began cooking. Despite the straightforward nature of these tasks, she often felt overwhelmed and exhausted by the end of her routine.

This sense of depletion was puzzling to her, as the chores seemed manageable on the surface. Yet, the daily cycle of responsibilities took a toll on her energy and spirit, leaving her questioning the relentless nature of her domestic life. Her struggle reflects a deeper sense of fatigue that comes with the repetitive nature of home management.

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