Tea Stall

Today struggling to find a cab to return home at peak hours, made me go mad. So I decided to give up. Walked to a distant tea stall. Although reaching it, is bit pain but the sip of tea is just worth it.

This stall man is really hard-working, today even her daughter around 12 years old was also there.

Neatly combed hair with red ribbons, still in her blue school suit, with pin-up white duppata.

I wondered, how can someone be so relaxed in school outfit for the whole day. While after reaching home the first thing I do is slip into my Pajamas.

She was sitting at the counter and collecting money.

Looking at her, I had an urge to talk to her. 

She said baba was alone at the shop as chotu was on leave. So I overtook half baba's job and he is working as baba and chotu both. Her mathematical explanation was really good.

Sipping the tea down, the magic worked.

The tea made by him, taste like one made by Aai. Maybe the home feeling makes me walk to this place again and again.

While next to me, came a girl drinking tea and she asked the little girl for a cigarette. Handing over one, the little girl said surprisingly, "didi, dont smoke, as it kills". I could not stop wondering how confident she was when she spoke this fact to an unknown elder. 

For a moment the customer felt ashamed and said ok. She finished the tea and went by.

This girl made me think about how simple and fearless is childhood. 

As children we all have learned that smoking kills but somewhere as we grow, we pick it up forgetting the killing part.

Smoking is just an instance, this reminded me of so many other things I was confident about as a child, just like this little girl.

But somewhere down the line, we get drifted away.

 Growing up is a necessary part of life, but ditching away the goods of childhood is still optional.

Hoping myself to go to the basics imbibed at childhood and keep myself stick to them for ages.

And all this childhood travel brought me back with a call from my cab driver to ask about the exact location.