BENGALURU: Something about tea triggers strong emotions in me. On most occasions, it’s about nostalgia. It has rendered me a life-long tea loyalist. I can’t put a date and time to when it began, but I am fairly certain how.
Tea, for me, fosters togetherness. While together, and sip after noisy-slurpy sip reduces the levels of the steaming hot beverage in the cups, conversations happen. This was what tea familiarised me with in my childhood, spent in the happy comforts of a joint family.
The one word from my mother, aunt or grandmother, “Chai!”, was like a bell to rush and open the door for happy moments to enter. What would follow was a rush to get our cups. On most days, in those early years in the ’70s, we kids got shouted at and admonished over consuming tea at such a young age. But never letting go, negotiations would follow. Then, we would have our way; but not without a strict “First have your milk, then you can have your tea!”
The elders drank cups after cups of tea, while we would get just one each, although relishing every sip through what we felt was gross injustice. Discussions would range from the dreaded Emergency (1975-77) in hush-hush tones for fear of an authoritarian backlash; the politics of the day; plans for the weekend; ‘Cricket With Vijay Merchant’; the best combination of players for a better Indian cricket team; ‘Bournvita Quiz’; or just movies that must be watched, and when to – and who would – book the tickets, and at which theatre without mosquitoes and rats as company.
It was over tea that my uncle, a much-respected doctor, explained various medical conditions, their treatments, and how we need to take care of ourselves; and my father, a civil engineer and an astronomy enthusiast, about the marvels of various technologies in the building industry and the wonders of space and astronomy. I would wonder whether it was tea which made adults so intelligent to discuss a range of topics with such flair. I was quite convinced it was!
I learnt my first lesson about evaporation and cooling when my father asked me to pour tea into the saucer and drink, while explaining how a wider surface exposure would cool the hot liquid faster. I love drinking it that way. That also convinced me why people in a hurry did that at the tea stalls, although these days – for reasons unknown – it is considered ‘uncultured’ to drink like that.
Growing a little older, and still in school, it was my elder sister who taught me how to prepare tea, as well as introduce me to the wonderful world of ‘masala chai’ – all done secretly, so we could prepare our own tea when the elders were not at home.
Maybe, it is that association of tea with happy moments shared with uncles, aunts, parents, cousins and siblings, which kept the steaming hot beverage permanently lodged somewhere in my subconscious as a go-to while seeking some momentary happiness even today. Every sip contributes to memories. My wife – who makes a flask-full for me every morning – has let my love for tea remain without any jealousy.
I was pleased and impressed when a leading tea powder company came up with an advertisement portraying how tea brought people together in the pre-internet days, and was a much stronger networking and bonding factor than social media – and continues to play that role to this day. Of course, they were promoting their brand, but I remain in total agreement with the content of that ad! It’s all about tea! Cuppa anyone?
Nirad Mudur
Deputy Resident Editor
niradgmudur@newindianexpress.com