I was chopping garlic in my kitchen the other day, minding my own business, when I noticed how weirdly satisfying it is to do that repetitive action. You know, smashing down on the cloves with that satisfying ‘crack’? It made me think of how much we take our hands—and nails—for granted. I mean, let’s be real, we often pay more attention to those cooking shows or trying out a new pooja item we’d read about (like that time I tried some smoky incense stick that just didn’t quit). [INSERT_IMAGE_1] But back to nails, have you noticed how much they endure while we try to keep our beauty routine on point? The chipping, scraping, and sometimes mysterious nail breakage right when you need them to look perfect. Then there’s the health part—which somehow ties all this together too… you know, when elders say, ‘Cook at home, it’s healthier!’ (Ignoring the fact that nobody talks about the mental gymnastics involved in pairing spices correctly.)
I found myself questioning, who decided nails were symbols of beauty? If you think about samayal (which by the way, is just a fancy word for cooking that we toss around), maybe it’s not only about dishing out dal but beautifying your space. You know, those influencers do it. There’s an odd satisfaction in seeing someone use traditional mitti pots in tutorial videos, even though I’ll never buy the reasons for pooja rituals, but hey—multifunctional, right? Like how I once read about using leftover turmeric for skin, only mine turned a weird shade of lemon that nobody warned me about. [INSERT_IMAGE_2] Anyway, my cuticles might not thank me, but there’s this unwritten poetry in how nails seem to be as versatile as your used turmeric, going from kitchen chore participants to accidental beauty icons. I once saw a post crowning certain gadgets as a kitchen must-have, and honestly, it had a micro nail file on the list. Who buys this for the kitchen… seriously? Look, nails might not be around to tell you tales like vadais during pooja or that aunt who talks about health fads, but they have a story.
So, while the garlic scent lingered a little too long on my hands, I wondered if maybe the beauty industry knew something we don’t. Or maybe, it was just attached to the cosmetic allure of beautiful hands wash after wash. Yeah, I know, I think too much about these things. My eyes still hurt. I need coffee. Ugh.