The other day, I watched ‘MAN WITH A PLAN’ on Netflix, and in one of the episodes, the main character, Adam Burns (Matt LeBlanc), called PANTRY the heart of THEIR home. And I wondered which room in OUR house would fit this title. And the story began to take shape and here’s what happened.

I decided to run a contest. I invited all the rooms in our house to apply for ‘The HEART OF HOME’ competition. And I asked the same question to all the contestants, ‘WHY SHOULD YOU WIN THIS TITLE? Read closely what the rooms viz. the contestants had to say: 

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Master Bedroom: 
"Truly, the winner should be me, Master Bedroom. (Drum Roll, Please). It is no coincidence that my name has a ‘MASTER’ in it. This is the place where the quiet of the night turns into a family circus when both your kids wake up and then not-so-quietly storm in here, climb onto your bed like little monkeys, and then you allow them to snuggle in. 
 When I look at you all snuggled cozily, I say, Aaaah, cuteness. You rest here before your morning chair-coffee ritual. 
 With that, I rest my case to be crowned as the heart of the house." (Drum Roll Please)

 Family Room: 
 "Master Room might be where you spend your nights, but this is where you pass your day. I’m the king of the rooms, where the entire family gets together. You indulge in board games, hash out your disagreements, and then turn into couch potatoes looking like seals on the shores watching television for hours as if someone sprinkled a spell to stick your bottoms onto the seats. Phew! So I say, the best candidate for the heart of the house is ME- your very own Family Room." (Applause, please)
 
 Dining Room: 
 "Hey, you can spend day or night in whichever room you want, but without me, your tummies would be gurgling. I am Dining Room. This is where you all sit and relish the food. Well, some of your littles, might I say, have a tough time staying seated, and for that, I may suggest adding trampoline chairs for their comfort, but yes, I am genuinely the heart of the house. 
 This is where your family feeds and talks about your day. And yes, there’s plenty of drama happening here too. The talking stick idea, which I’d say is highly overrated, doesn’t go well with your family. Sometimes everyone wants to talk at the same time, and then no one wants to talk. I can have a separate session about it as I am the wise one here. 
 Another nugget of advice before I leave, don’t waste your time on this contest. I’m the undisputed winner. Just roll with it!"

 LIVING ROOM:
 "Hello and Namaste from Living Room. This is where your social life happens. I’m the page-3 of your family tabloid, Or I should say the celebrity. This is where you connect and network with your guests, display your best artifacts and pose social media pictures. I’m full of stories, laughter, and fun. Undoubtedly, I should be the heart of the house."

 BATHROOM: 
 "Wait, what, you all rooms should save time and consider me as the heart of the house. Can you imagine a house without a bathroom? Honestly, people, let’s be practical. You can watch TV, relax and talk in any of the rooms, but the work you do here, (Clears throat) ahem, it can’t be respectfully done in any other rooms. I keep you ALL clean. So let’s all save time and offer me the title."

 OFFICE: 
 "There is a reason my name starts with ‘OFF,’ which really means OFFer me the title. This is where you dream, write and then again get back to dreaming. I’m the mastermind, the hub of collaboration and innovation. And this is where you work (and dream) to get the moolah in. So I’m the official heart of the house."

 KITCHEN
 "C'MON, I have no time for this fiddle-faddle. I’m the most happening place in the house, and I’m busy as the ants in your garden. You sizzle, smoke, and sear all the nutrition here. The bacon you get (from Office ) is of no use without me. Imagine guests in LIVING ROOM would starve without my help. Parties are my jam. So eat those words of pride and get me the title." 
 
 PANTRY
 "When there’s nothing cooking in the kitchen, where do you go? I’m the place with the highest foot traffic. When anyone is bored, they visit me for a handful of snacks. When emotions run high, you raid the jars in here. When you’re in the family room, you grab a bag of chips before sticking your bottoms on the chair. I provide raw material to the kitchen, dining, family, and living room. And also, I’m somewhat responsible for you using the bathroom (wink!!). And I’d say you’ve used my door in a darn nifty way to showcase all your mom achievements, making you look like a super mom. I keep the house moving, and I’m truly the heart of the home." 

After hearing all the contestants, my head is spinning, and I can’t reach a decision. I can use your help here. Can you share your opinion on which of these rooms should be the heart of the home and why? Please enter your answers in the comment box. The room with the highest votes wins as the heart of the home. The contest ends in two weeks.