KYA CHAI HI PYAAR HAI?

Chai. 

For most of us it is probably an emotion and a very strong one at that. 

The history of chai in India goes back a long way. Some say it was introduced in royal courts 5000 years ago, others believe it was brought into India by the Silk Caravans travelling from China to Europe. While the debate continues, the result has been appreciated equally by people from all centuries. Chai has become a part of our daily lives. A lot like a tradition. No house is complete without at least one chai lover, or in some cases, a dozen!

Today we bring you three tea time stories from Indian households/locals which are definitely as warm and satisfying as the cup of chai we all love! 

Do continue reading!

Starting the day with Papa ki adrak wali chai:

Source: Twitter

The first story is from the house of the very well known and celebrated chef, Ranveer Brar. Ranveer is known for his unique recipes and the warmth of the stories he narrates while sharing his recipes with the audience. In a special episode featuring his father and his delicious recipe of masala chai, the duo reminisce about how the chai tradition started in their home and go back many years to when his father learnt to make his first chai. The story is heart-warming and special just like the chai they make! 

The Brar family’s morning begins with Ishwar‘s (Ranveer’s father)  special masala chai. This is their daily morning routine and the Brar family absolutely loves papaji ke hath ki chai. 

While sharing his most delicious chai recipe, Ishwar explains how he started making chai every morning. His mother, who was an asthma patient, had her own troubles, so making chai for his mother was the first thing, 12 year old Ishwar did every morning. This ritual continued through the years and now no morning is complete without Ishwar making tea for his family. He reminisces how even during the toughest times, his mother always made sure to prioritize their education and created a safe and respectful life for her children. She was a strong woman and very much ahead of the time she lived in. 

So with the sound of the cups being laid out in a tray and the unparalleled smell of adrak, Ishwar holds the memories of his dear mother and the love for his family in the chai that he boils every morning. 

WiFi aur Chai?

Siruguppa is a small town in the Ballari district of rural Karnataka. Here stays Syed Khadar Basha, a 23 year old tea vendor who is revolutionizing chai pe charcha in Karnataka! His unique tea stall offers free WiFi to every customer buying tea worth only Rs.5! A simple way to attract his customers, Basha applied this scheme keeping in mind that most of his customers were students. Having studied only till class 10 himself, Bhasha was happy to help students from remote villages get accustomed to fast speed internet. 

In a small town like Siruguppa, the internet is still a work in progress. Data packs are expensive and students can not afford it on a minimum pocket money. By integrating a free WiFi connection along with his hot steaming cup of tea, Basha has won over many customers. From 100 cups a day, his sales have now surged to a whopping 400 cups a day!

This not only increased Basha’s business but also helped people connect to their loved ones, download study material and enjoy fast internet for 30 mins over a cup of his famous cutting chai! 

The news of this chai wala sponsoring WiFi to the locals spread like wildfire and soon we found newspapers and magazines covering his story. Once again, chai became a reason for people to connect and engage with each other. 

Making memories over Chai:

The final story is actually my own. As you must have noticed, this blog comes straight from my heart. I am very serious about my chai!

As a kid, everytime we visited my nani’s place in the evenings (the chai time), we were greeted by nani, busy watching films from the 60s or enjoying Kumar Sanu music- enjoying her evening cup of tea. 

My nani was a very brave business woman and probably someone I find myself looking up to very often. A few years ago, she got bedridden which made it difficult for her to take care of herself. As she chose to live alone (and not abandon her dearest home), I decided to sleep in the house with her for some time. In the course of those six-seven months, I connected with her more than I ever had. She always told me how I looked a lot like her mother and sometimes called me “Maa” jokingly. However, the best time out of those months was chai time. 

Each morning Mamu used to bring us chai, and we used to have breakfast together. Nani’s breakfasts were never quiet. She used to tell me stories of her business days and how she managed her kids while sourcing and selling the best quality cloth materials. She used to tell me how I always ruined her pile of clothes as a child and how I kept staring at only her, when I was born. By the passion with which she narrated her stories- I could tell she enjoyed her life fully, even the difficult days. She took pride in her grandchildren and always told me“ ke officer toh banna hi hai beta, kya rubab hoga tera”. 

I think even though she couldn’t cook anymore, the taste of her food has always been extremely fresh in my head, and will always be. And even though that morning chai was from a close by tapri, what mattered was that she enjoyed it thoroughly and so did I- the chai as well as her stories.

I lost my nani last year, but I don’t think she ever left me. I must have grieved her but she is as alive as my own heart to me. And those chai stories are definitely locked away in a safe space somewhere in there. 

So what I’m trying to say is, no matter the number of chai recipes you experiment with or the many chai tapris you explore around the city, what matters is the people we choose to share it with. Chai is an emotion because it makes us nostalgic and no matter what we add to our chai, our tea cups will always be unique because they remind us of warm conversations and our dearest people.  

Toh isi bat pe, ek cup chai aur ho jaye!?