Who said the best things in life are larger than life? To an average Indian housewife, I would rate the following as the greatest bits of happiness:
The doorbell announcing the arrival of the domestic help (attendance marked for today!)
The milk basket filled with sachets at 5.30 on a morning when there is absolutely no extra milk.
The sight of spongy white idlies on lifting the steaming cooker.
The vegetables all chopped up in readiness for cooking.
The pressure cooker that doesn't let out steam from the sides.
The arrival of the LPG cylinder when the gas supplies are almost over at home.
The array of washed clothes that have dried completely.
The electricity supply that resumes just as one is about to start using the grinder or mixie.
...
and of course, the list goes on...