A Cup of Love Affair

Aroma of ginger mixed with tea leaves and cardamom sufficed to drive Kaveri to her college days. The most ambitious talks, broken hearts, aims, and trips were planned playing tabla on the canteen table and lingering for their Teatime fun. 

Memories were fresh as a daisy when the rain spilling from the heavens above stimulated the desire to shoot to the canteen and order their favourite hot beverage, mandatory with samosa and jalebi. 

Kaveri’s lips created an arch when broadcast from the olden days started playing inside her head. One splendid day, the group of friends with modest pocket money and hesitant steps walked over in a 5-star hotel. Scanning the menu from the extreme right, fingers paused at entry and when eyeballs were angled to the left corner of the extravagant carte, friends shared a light moment as all they could afford was the alphabet which falls between S and U. (T) of course. It never looked so fancy before, and the group was indeed skeptical about whether to pick the complementary cookies. 

The whistling sound of the boiling liquid brought her back. Parked herself on the couch, sipping she was forming a mental To-do list, where her aspirations were nowhere close. Menu for the day, homework for her slice of heart, pending bills, and the grocery list was a top priority. 

Avinash, her husband and she invariably made their diurnal and perennial gimmick over their anticipated morning and evening tea parties. Munching biscuits was a time in and out affair, while popcorns, pakoras, and papadums were unlikely companions. Nonstop conversations and vigorous discussions were a requisite, but sometimes silence accompanied the noble aromatic vapors. 

She realized how even a mug of tea has matured. When she was small, tea replaced milk only on sick days, when her mother poured the liquid with all her heart and blessings. A cup of unconditional and the purest form of love. Her heart expanded with glory when her father admired her first attempt of preparing tea. 

Stepping in her teens, tea swaps places with her overseas cousin Coffee. She used to order Cappuccino to look cool, although her soul pines for the Desi chai. 

 When her role varied from a student to an expert. Tea time belonged to the gossip hour. Tea station visits not merely served in sustaining the sanity but likewise to stay updated. 

Tea was the ice- breaker whether to get warm to a new neighbor or even when she met the man of her dreams Avinash. Wooden tray jetpack with the musical cups. The sound made her anxiety no secret. Sipping tea, their eyes met for the first time and a high voltage current rushed through her nerves. 

Newlywed Kaveri was certain of solely one thing in the kitchen and that was to make her famous masala tea. Sometimes during occasions of awkwardness with the guests, tea turned to the rescue.

Memories were floating. On a frosty cold night, Avinash took her to a prominent tea stall and the combo of Maggi and hot masala tea served in Kullar and the miraculous touch of Avinash’s affection was casting spells on her entire being.

Endless memoirs of a cup of liquid gold.. But the fondest and the funniest was the latest edition to the ever-thriving list. During the time of the year when the shadows were turning longer, bidding bye to the blanket was getting tougher. Avinash’s Tea was meager is an understatement, even hot water tastes better than his style of tea.

He repeatedly adopted it as a weapon, “Baby get up or I am preparing the tea”.. Kaveri flew straight to the kitchen to escape a major spoiler of the day. That call was the finest and a never-failing alarm clock.. And she loves the caller and the alarm clock both till eternity.