Cha Times!

Chai becomes very important after a really hard day at work. Even if the day is not hard enough tea is still needed to kill a long day. Chai wala is an essential property outside office edifices. In my office vicinity there are 2 chai walas who sit at a distance of 100 cms. They are pally and all but see how they create competition in the ecosystem.

One guy is huge with a handlebar moustache and wears a lungi (a usually checker drape worn below the waist level by men, particularly in southern India). The other guy is smaller always greeting his customers with a smile on his face. That’s how he steals my loyalty to his tea stall.

Now, I was just noticing their pull strategy. For convenience sake let’s call the Lungi guy Tea Stall #1, the Happy guy Tea Stall #2 and these numbers don’t denote rankings at all.

Now coming to their product offerings; let’s analyse them one by one:

Stall #1

Not that the products are any different in a tea stall but taste Oh yes! His tea is quite milky and lacks cardamom flavor. I don’t like cardamom so it works for me but milk oh no, I can’t bear the sight of a thick white looking milky tea- that is because it takes away all the authentic taste which a closer-to –black-tea has.

Stall #2 has a slightly better tea because it is cutting, highly aromatic, darker, and less milk. I would anyday prefer to go to him first. There is a time when he chooses to take a break and deny us the luxury of sipping a soothing cutting chai; then we are left with only the Lungi guy. He very happily makes the tea of my preference because in his mind he wants to shift my customer loyalty towards him instead. And, he makes every effort to do so.

For instance – one day in stall #2’s absence he went out of his way to make a sugar free tea. He had no milk and he sent a guy to get milk before he closes the stall for the day. I felt privileged. While my tea was made to perfection; I wanted to skip because he was taking too long. Since, he was sweet enough I couldn’t be a ruder.

While I was sipping the cutting chai peacefully he started selling his tea making skills. He bitched about the Happy Guy Tea Stall #2 and tried to convince me how his tea tastes authentic.

Arey madam jee aap roz udhar peete ho, hamari chai peekar dekho aapko maza ajayega aur aap mere paas hi ayoge hamesha. (you drink tea at the other stall every day, have it at my stall and you would always want to come back for the tasty chai).

I was like Hmm. May be. But next day when I saw the Happy Guy Stall #2 perched on this wooden flat stool I was ecstatic. I like an opportunist went to him simply ignoring the other guy. Maybe, he doesn't say anything but his customer service is what I get attracted to or maybe, his product which is my requirement.

Or maybe it is just OPIUM.

I’m in trouble! Help me please.

I consider myself lucky to be breathing, sitting up straight and writing this blog today. You ask me, why? Read this narrative.

I live in Delhi. I was invited for a party last evening by a friend to his relatively new bar where I have been avoiding to go for some time. Do you ask me, why is that? Ahem, for a couple of reasons. 

1. It's a different zone. Almost, 30 kms from where I live. Another part of the city.

2. Commuting alone becomes difficult.

I thought about it again yesterday. Even if it is that far, should I not make that effort of seeing his new place and congratulate him. I should. I wanted to go. Usually, in these cases I don't think so much. Just, fire up a cab service app and call for the nearest available cab. Hop on! Safe and economical- scream all the promotional messages.

Yesterday, I had to think more than I would usually do about traveling alone at a decent time. Now you would question that how do we define 'a decent time'? Well, a time when I know there is enough traffic on road and enough street lights gleaming on the silver paths. A time when I feel relatively safe.

I thought and re-thought. I decided to go. I ordered a cab, took some steps for guarding myself like giving the cab details to my friend, checking the driver's information before hopping on to it, opening the Google maps to be sure of the route and testing the panic button on the app. 

What next? I sat in the cab and the driver started talking to me. I ignored. 

I focused on the maps and was shuffling between looking outside the window and following it up with the maps.

To be really honest, I was petrified. At every turn the cab took, I thought about how this could go completely wrong. I did not take any calls in between so that I don't lose the track of the maps. I discredited every other man I saw in any other car who looked at me even for a micro second.

Now I ask you? How many days, weeks, months, years will it take for me to feel safe again? Will it ever happen? Will I always feel so insecure when I travel alone?

It is not about Delhi alone or about the cab services or about only Rapes. It is about everything that terrifies a woman to do things freely in this country. It is about how she should think twice before taking a cab alone at night or wear certain kind of clothes before going out, peep her way through the peephole to be sure of who is knocking at the door.

In today's world everybody talks about how independent a woman should be and if I ask my friends (boys) to drop me home, they tell  me to not to be dependent on boys anymore.

How much ever I want to be all by myself and be independent, the horrific incidents of molestation and rapes pulls me back to reality. The reality looks in to my eyes and says "you're a woman, deal with it". The recent incident is upsetting for various reasons. It has made me sad, frustrated and fearful to the core.

I would like to ask every man for help? Will you help me? Because you can. I am not ashamed of asking for help from you. You are the same men we choose as our husbands, friends and boyfriends.