Julie Sahni's "South Indian Filter Coffee with Amma" brought back
memories of the day I first tried my hand at blending tea and reached the sad
conclusion - "Blending tea is not
my cup of tea."
I am not the expert cook Julie Sahni is and
neither did my mother assist me in my little endeavor. The incident I can
recall is the opposite pole of the story Sahni shares about her love for food
and admiration for her mother. Also, my goal was to come up with anything that
could even closely be identified as "Tea" or "Coffee", let
alone, a professional Chef's Special :
"South Indian Filter Coffee".
Much like Julie Sahni, I am a fanatic of
food, especially milk delicacies, but for the difference, I am only an expert
at relishing the finished delicious product and not actually making it. I am a
complete novice when it comes to handling the kitchen. Now this, where I live,
is unacceptable for an eighteen-year-old girl and an invitation for endless
taunts by my father.
Just how Sahni talks about her developing
relationship with her mother over some favourite dishes, I'd like to recall how,
in my case, Assam Tea helped me realize the importance of the pride of a
daughter being able to brew tea in my father's eyes and how in the process, I
learnt so much more.
“My daughter doesn’t even know how to blend tea!”
Whatever
the discussion may be, THAT’S how my Father wins every argument.
On his last birthday, I planned to surprise
him with a steaming cup. Needless to say, the kitchen was in a complete mess as
it took me ages to track down the ingredients I could vaguely picture my mother
using last evening. I had just a few minutes before he woke up and I frantically
battled my way along the elaborate process of blending tea.
Few
wrong ingredients here and there and a loud pop of boiling milk made me replace
the water entirely- THRICE. I was lucky to have not burnt myself by now as I
dodged and ducked the milk splashes each time the monster of the pot would rage
in fury. I was on the verge of giving up just before the aroma of fresh Assam
Tea finally broke loose and the potion resumed a surprising calm. I lowered the
gas flames and when I was sure that I had the monster under control, I flipped
the stove off. SOMETHING must have gone right because the color didn’t really
look okay. What mattered most was that I had won the challenge!
Leaving the kitchen in an uncleanable mess, I
decorated the cup on a fancy tray and approached my father's bed. He breathed
in a long slurp, waiting for the taste as I stood there triumphantly, thinking
that he will never win another argument. Even though his eyes told me how
inconsumable that bitter liquid was, a smile beamed across his face. I realized
that it was never about my learning how to blend tea. It was the worth of the
effort I’d put in to see heaven on his face.
The challenge I thought existed gave way. I
realized how a little effort on my side could bring a world of joy in my
Daddy's heart. Yes, he sipped that "Tea" till there were no dregs
remaining, effortlessly maintaining that bright smile I can give up the world
for.
I have come to the conclusion that out of all
kinds of food, there is one item that holds the maximum significance, at least
in all Indian households. That one revered item is "Chai". It can be
used to measure one's maturity, attitude and love. You can make out the stage
of life one is going through just by the kind of tea he drinks or makes.
"Chai" brings joy and recreation. Be it "Maa's Chai"
(Mother's Tea) or an early morning "Thelley waali Chai" (Tea Stall),
this one little potion of happiness talks about endless memories and emotions.
In my
case, I can say that Tea, regardless of how it tastes, can be used to fathom
the depth of relationships and hence, Audrey Hepburn rightly says-
SHIVANI AGARWAL
1313139
1CEP
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