From Hathor, Brigid, Frigga, Hestia, and Vesta to us.

The names above are the ruling deities of the hearth and home according to civilizations. The Egyptian pantheon upholds Hathor as the protector of the hearth. The Celtic tradition has Brigid, the Norse have Frigga, the Greeks have Hestia and the Romans have Vesta. In my humble abode, I uphold the goddess Durga, have my mother in the advisory role, and the operational team is just me!

The past week has been hectic and so is this week and something tells me, its going to spill onto the next week as well. Bah! I'm almost feeling the need to be Dashabhuja like Maa Durga!

I have just shifted base from south to west Delhi and the unpacking and rearranging seems to have no end at all. Yes, I'm now a denizen of the suburbs. The planned blocks, residential complexes, tree-lined roads, sparse traffic, designated market areas... it is all so breezy. Although, setting up my own hearth in a tranquil atmosphere and just so as my heart always wanted is a welcome task, it is a huge task.

Shifting houses is a big deal, I would know, I've done it some half dozen times since my grad and post-grad years. What is different now? I'm married. Which essentially means I just don't have to pack my bed and clothes but a whole home. Now, I've to pack and unpack whole rooms and not just the bare necessities. And remember, all this while, office-going and husband-dealing does not take a backseat.

I have had an interlude with almost every man of the trade by now and I know their rate charts by-heart. Plumber, electrician, laundryman, cablewala, kudawala, property dealer, court clerks, truckwala, load labourers, you name it and I have dealt with them all. Add to that, the growing list of things I would need to make my home cozy. This had me thinking that we should all know some amount of practical skills. What I'm actually meaning to say is that no matter what the proverb says, we got to be, Jack of all Trades—these days.

Hence, apart from the cooking, cleaning, other household stuff, ideal wife/friend behaviour, and along with software, process-related information, and job skills in your office, you should know some hands-on tricks too. This could be minor electrical, mechanical repairs, DIY decor hacks, etc.

In a nutshell, just debunk all your previous aims and career idols and look up to someone like Durga Maa. Besides, at this point having more than a pair of hands is surely looking quite tempting.