Chai?

New days or old days melting into one after the other days, familiar days or not knowing whats going to happen next days, exciting days or dead boring days, days when everything around me stays the same and on those days when nothing around me resembles anything I know, one thing gives me a sense of familiarity.
A cup of tea. My cup of tea. There's something about this mundane everyday thing I do, ie making a cup of tea and having it that centers me. Always. Sometimes not for long but for a precious 5 minutes yes. For sure.

I remember growing up, mum was very particular about us not getting caffeine addicted and strictly made sure we had one cup in the morning and one in the evening and thats it. Any attempts at making more were frowned upon. Of course if you needed it then you needed it but generally she diaspproved.

Then somewhere between having Nosh and Reh, my attachment to the beautiful (I love the colour of black tea) and refreshing (the smell evokes so many memories) drink made friends out of us. I remember being really irritated most days, up until a few months back when I'd make cup after cup and gulp it down between harried morning routines and be amazed at not remembering whether I actually drank it or not. I remember looking at the bottom of a cup and thinking - was that one I just finished or was that an earlier one?

There are so many memories around it. Lol.

• I remember when we were younger, running to make tea when guests came home and thinking of it as an escape from making polite conversation. Let Mom and Dad handle that!
• I remember Dad teaching me to dunk Butter cookies in it when I was four and loving the end result.
• I remember warming hands around a cup on chilly days.
• I remember making my parents tea for the first time and what a milky disaster it was but how happily they drank it.
• I also remember how Mom made a second pot soon after...
• I remember even in troubled times, tense days, this cup of tea and tea time being some kind of an elixir to remember better times, push through 5 minutes towards a change of time, those 15 minutes of making and drinking it binding everyone into an encouraging life-must-and-will-go-on time.
• On the flip side after heavy biriyanis and family get-togethers, you wanted cousins, uncles and aunts not to leave and rejoiced at another half n hr they agreed to stay back when asked to have tea too and go. Who'd say no to tea and more time together?
• I remember when were a bunch of friends working and living together in Bangalore - no time was off-limits for tea. 12 at night was ok if it meant extended gossip-sessions and late-night movie marathons. Thats when I realised tea didnt mean I'd spend the night staring at the ceiling. Either that or nothing came between me and my sleep...!
• I remember those post wedding cooking jitters and uff thank God for tea. At least I could start off with making a decent cuppa for R!
• Now I look forward to having my tea by my big window. Or sipping some golden liquid while browsing. Or watching TV. I crack up when I see Reh stealthily taking a sip from my cup. I love how it's one more thing me and Nosh can do together. Dunk cookies and make a fine art of gobbling it before it plunks itself back into the cup.

Ahem.

Mai aur meri chai aksar ye baatein karte hain....ki
agar.....yun hota to kaisa hota...tum hoti to kaisa hota...wo nai hota to kitna achcha hota...aaj kya banaoon?...

....Silsila style. Chuckle.