"You see, now Russia will take over Finland and Sweden too". Rohit said in a dominant tone sipping the tea.
"Absolutely, Putin's not going to stop at least in the near future to come. He seems to have some big plans this time." Priya replied firmly.
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"Hey leave it, come to our nation guys. In the coming elections in Gujarat, did you read about Hardik Patel's resignation from the Congress Party? The already dead are going to be buried even deeper this time." Shubham said taking a big slurp from his cup.
"Definitely, very true you. But the BJP's incumbent CM, what's his name? Amm, Bhupendrabhai Patel, right? You know he's just kinda a puppet CM. Who is going to be the face of the CM in the state will have strong implications on the election results." Amit added.
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"Oh man, just love the way she walks and enters the class...I have been trying to talk to her for six months now but she doesn't give any reply. Tell me some solution bro. I really like her." Abhishek asked with a poker face thumping the cup of tea on the table.
"Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? Don't even think buddy. She anyways is committed, I am pretty sure." Rohan mocked.
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"Well, when should we go for the latest show of Bhool Bhulaiya 2? I was waiting for this movie for the last 10 years. Just can't wait!!!" Ayushi asked excitingly.
"Nah, but I don't think Kartik Aryan will be able to justice with the movie. Didn't you watch the trailer? It's really not horror, nor truly funny at all." Shreya replied bitterly and took a sip.
You must be trying to figure out what exactly the conversations above mean? No, these aren't hypothetical scenes created. But, the everyday scenes at famous tea vendors nestled away in a corner at some busy square, or in front of a city mall, or next to some educational institute; also at the famous Cafes exclusively serving chay & coffee only, with a very few sidings. These cafes' major source of revenue comes from their wide varieties of tea & coffee alone, and their creatively furnished interiors act as a driving force to attract the customers. Also, one more thing that I have noticed is that in most of the tier-2 or tier-3 cities, (or even in tier-1) these cafes that exclusively serve tea & coffee have set very affordable rates for their menu. Major examples remain the famous franchises like Chay Sutta Bar (CSB), MBA Chaiwala etc.
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| Photo by Rumman Amin on Unsplash |
International Tea Day is celebrated on 21st May every year. The day when all the Tea enthusiasts remain on cloud nine. I have always been amazed and curious to know why a hell lot of people fall for tea and get 'taste orgasms' hearing its name only? Doing brainstorming for months, spending hours at these so-called Tea Heavens, and unwillingly having tens of cups of tea I came to the following conclusion that I think make some sense and are legitimate enough to ponder more upon.
Conclusion:
1. It is not the tea per se that entices & allures people towards it, but the interesting conversations (with the cup of tea in hand) on numerous topics which go on for hours, making the say 'chay par charcha' very true. A cup of tea shouldn't take more than 15, or at max 20 minutes to finish ideally, but most of the groups of friends or colleagues end up sitting or standing there for an hour or more. It's not the cup of tea that makes people glued to their seats, but the gossip on myriad topics ranging from international affairs, politics, economics, society, love, Hollywood etc, that makes the best resort for timepass, and makes them unable to leave the conversations in middle. And here we also find a number of 'uncle cynics' who literally don't know anything and end up saying (that too with much determination) bizarre things like 'Modi is responsible for the Ukraine war', questions almost everything the government does, and blames the BJP for any of the negatives in the country.
2. Tea is no doubt overrated. Well, honestly answer the question - 'will you have the same penchant for tea if a cup of it would cost ₹50 or more (talking about the same cafes and tea vendors only). Maybe some of the people will unrealistically say yes, but I can bet over it that 90% of the people for whom a ₹7/10/20 tea today is like Oxygen, for the people who need tea gossip a minimum of three times a day would surely find some better and affordable alternative.
3. For most people it's not like they take tea to take a break from their monotonous routines, or to take out a moment of change from their daily menial chores, but the other way round. Here's an analogy for a better explanation - peanuts (chakhna) don't have much value when we compare them to liquor, but at the same time liquor doesn't give the desired feeling of high until it isn't complemented by sidings (peanut). Similarly, until gossip is not complemented by tea, it does not make the gossip enjoyable. The twist of chill in gossip is added by tea only.
4. Agree that tea has been the most cost-effective hot beverage, readily available almost anywhere, and has not-so-many negative side effects. It just makes the acidity worse, makes you addicted to it, and raises your blood sugar levels to new heights. I am not saying that one should stop having tea, in fact, a small cup of tea in the morning and evening with minimum sugar may alleviate your mood, and make you feel fresh. Neither there's any wrong with having conversations over tea unless you are talking meaningful and not killing your precious time.
Wishing all the mad Tea Lovers who can actually 'eat, sleep, talk and walk Tea' a very happy International Tea Day. Keep loving tea but don't create unnecessary hype about it. You love tea, love it; don't become a philosopher telling the entire world your divine love for it, nor treat those who hate it or prefer coffee over it as if they are humans from another planet. Mind it there's nothing special in it!
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"mom...can I get a cup of tea, please? Wrote a lot, feeling tired."
PS: all the names used above are fictitious. Don't lose your cool if I have stole yours. Just have a cup of tea and enjoy :)