Her Magical Blend

After putting a cup of water to boil in the kettle. I added two spoonfuls of sugar.

"This Time I wanted to make it just like hers sweet yet not so sweet." 

I repeated in my mind.

A cup of tea has always been my love. But the way she made had something else. From the blend to temperature, everything was perfectly maintained. I miss her a lot. Her nonstop talks even in the middle of the night with closed eyes and open mouth. I miss her… I miss her presence.

" Sudipa whenever feel discharge then have a cup of my special adrak wali chai ( ginger milk tea )"

After saying this she always handed me a cup of her special tea.

From those days her special has always been my energy drink.

Now sugar dissolved while water left its calm attitude and started rising high.

" Sudipa when water starts roaring then it's the perfect time to add ginger."

Here I crushed an inch of ginger in mortar and pistil. The strong Woody smell of ginger tingled my nostril making me alert. Collecting in a spoon I added the crushed pieces in roaring water. With the fall of pieces, the roaring of water came to halt. I increased the flame and ginger's up and down movement started.

The first piece came to the surface after feeling the surface temperature it shrank down, then another piece came repeating the same experiment, and one another with another this process of coming up and down continued. While I was busy absorbing Ginger's Woody sweet-spicy aroma. Its strong sensation made me relax.

" Sudipa when pieces of ginger start dancing fast, in flames beat then note down it's the right time to add leaves."

 

Nilgiri blend was her favorite. Though I always complained

" Maa this blend is good for an iced tea".

There she turns away saying 

" Why not make our own favorite why following others ideology..."

Now I think she was right about 'our own favorite…' how funny it is we always forget this.

Now I just wanted it to be like hers. So I added a teaspoon full of Nilgiri blend. With the mere touch of leaves, the water rises high.

"Ah! Sudipa have a look. How the stage of water welcomed the new performer by rising high." 

Her imagination had no par. She always treated tea making as a stage performance where leaves, water, sugar, ginger are performers and we are viewers.

Nilgiri's well known bold nature is unlocked now, the fruity-floral aroma with hints of dusk orchid and woody plum filling my nostril,

And here the woody sweet sensational aroma of ginger also joins hands.

"Sudipa come here. Take a deep breath. Now tell me how it feels ?"

" Bold Maa …. Bold. It feels strong and spicy."

" Exactly "

Now tea leaves started moving up and down along with pieces of ginger.

In her words, 

"A new performance has begun. Tea leaves collaborated with ginger and now they are performing on a new beat."

" Look Ma…. they are changing color! "

"Yes, Sudipa with every beat tea leaf leaves its essence. And you know these essences are so strong that it even changes the color of colorless water."

The amount of water reduced, changing its color to crystal red.

"Sudipa when dance is at peak then leaves give off all its color. The roaring of water will increase with flames every beat. Here is the indication that performance is about to end. Showing the exact time to add beat changer ."

For her beat changer is none other than milk.

In her way, with the mere touch of the whitish liquid roaring of water calm down, every performer settled, a new beat started playing by flames and a new performance began.

"Sudipa calm down now see how these little leaves are gathering their leftover energy and starting. This time with more intensity. While the tired pieces of ginger excused and vanished in white, leaving only the solo performance of leaves in a kettle. With every turn, it releases its color. " 

The whitish milky color disappeared while attaining magical golden brown color. Her perfect blend in her style is now ready to serve.

With the help of a wire strainer, I strained her magical blend in her favorite white cup with golden flowers.

Inhaling the bold aroma I blew the hot air dancing above the cup. I took my first sip, the hot liquid passed through my mouth and reached the throat giving a twinkling aromatic sensation. Closing my eyes and I devoured in the sweet, spicy, and strong aromatic taste of adrak wali chai .

"Sudipa even if I will not be there still I will make my way up to you to charge you, to push you, to move you forward ." 

Her calming voice played in my head.

Caressing an old photo frame Sudipa decided

" Now I should start again. Thanks, Maa….." 

Writers note -

Though I never drink tea. But I love seeing my mum making it every morning for her and her love. Very passionately with lots of patience and tons of love. Stirring the contents again and again. So I always think about what makes her tea so good, tea leaves or her love.