Skip to main content

Chai!

I hope most of the Indians can relate to what I am about to say. Chai is not just another beverage. It is a feeling, an emotion, a culture, and a tradition.

To be honest, I am not a massive fan of the taste of chai, it's, of course, delicious, but that's not the reason why I drink chai.

For me, chai is a getaway from reality beverage, taking a pause, taking rest, taking a break from all the work we do, to relish the short but precious moments we get every day. It is the emotional connection that I have with chai that makes it so special.

I enjoy the journey and the ritual that I take while preparing the chai. You could say that why not coffee? Why I am talking about chai here and not coffee. Coffee is not an emotion. It does not require a ritual to be performed; it lacks the journey. While chai takes you into another realm where everything is okay. You forget your pains, you forget troubles, you forget your worries, you forget your work, you forget all the things that you need to take care of.

The journey starts with just boiling the water, and while the water is boiling, you are trying to find the mortar and pestle that is hidden somewhere in the kitchen, and you have hope and optimism, probably more than the way your life going, that you could find 'adrak' in the fridge. 

You have also disrupted the section of masalas in your kitchen to find 'long' and 'elaichi.'  You again always have hope that you will find all the ingredients you need to make a chai.

Somehow, I always have the ingredients available, but I never take a log of the required ingredients. I just happen to have them always in my kitchen. It is surreal!

When the time comes to broom the leaves, I savor the moments when the color of the chai turns. The addition of the milk, slow-simmered over low fame, only adds to the anticipation of the product. And you wait for the chai to get ready. just like a child waits for a promised treat, 

In the end, the caravan always finds its destination. And you pour the chai into a glass that has its own charm. The sound of chai pouring into the glass was accompanied by the wafting aroma; everything was so precious at that moment.

Finally, you settle down; you just cannot drink the chai anywhere; you find a perfect spot near the window. And you wish of raining or snowing.

The 30-minute pause on your day has a more profound effect on you than anything that happened on the day!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dard kuch der hi rehta hai, bahut der nahi

A Poem by Gulzar Dard kuch der hi rehta hai, bahut der nahi, jis tarah shaakh se toray hue ek pattay ka rang mand par jata hai kuch roz alag shaakh se reh kar shaakh se toot kar yeh dard jeeye ga kab tak? khatam ho jayegi jab is ki rasad, tim-timayega zara der ko bujhtay-bujhtay, aur phir lambi si ek sans dhuan ki le kar khatam ho jayega, yeh dard bhi, bujh jayega. dard kuch der hi rehta hai, bahut der nahi...                                                                             - gulzar

Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Aasmaan!

I completed my three years in the USA. The previous three years of my precious late 20s and early 30s have been gone just like that. At times, I feel like I'm too hard on myself. I should be content with what I have accomplished, but there is always more to learn and always more to gain! I hate this feeling, to be honest. I hate being in the constant feeling of what could have been better! Don't you think we should just stop striving for more? Stop dreaming about earning more money; stop getting lured for promotions. But then what is there to live if there isn't more? This thought has been a constant conflict for me. To stop or not to stop, that is the question! When I was around 15, my mother used to say, "Tu jaldi bada ho gya" meaning, "I have grown up early." I was very mature for my age and started looking at life very differently than my peers. All I wanted was "Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Aasmaan," but nowadays, I find myself in the same rat ra...

Ordinary simple little things.

Don't you think that ordinary simple little things actually make up life? They have always been underrated, and people always take them for granted. We, humans, are complex creatures; we always have to make things complicated. But the truth is life lies in the little things that happen every day. Little things that always have mattered. Life is not about having a 9-5 job, buying a big car or a big house, earning lots of money, or getting famous. Life is all about little things. Like having someone by your side when you get home after that 9-5 job. Like when you finally learn how to make "Gol Chapattis." Like when you finally finish that book or fall asleep while reading. Like when you ask for extra pani puri. Like when you taste the first kerry of the season. Like when you get wet in the first rain without being concerned about your health. Like when you finish the game, you have been playing for so long. Like when you pass a smile to little babies, and they ...