Relationships

Chai is not a beverage. It is an emotion…

For the last week I have been missing my mayeka a lot. Amidst this pandemic, I haven’t been able to visit my mom even in the summer vacations. Yesterday morning, while talking to my mom, I just burst out and all I heard was, “We will meet soon. Worry not!” What else could I expect! In the evening, as I stood in the balcony, a soft breeze caressed my cheek.

Just then I got a video call from my mom. I picked up just to see my mom with mama, mausi, and all the cousins from across the globe on the same video call. My hubby slipped in from behind with 2 cups of kadak adrak wali chai and everyone shouted ‘Cheers!!!’ A sip of tea and I was in tears again.

No, I am not a cry baby. But in moments like these, my heart brims up with love and my eyes well up. Everyone teased me, cried with me, and made me laugh too. Towards the end, one of my cousins exclaimed, “Cheers to Supriti’s tears for bringing us together and chai for uplifting our moods.” And we all laughed our hearts out. Even after living in different cities, in different weather conditions, we all have always loved the desi kadak Chai. All our family gatherings, begin and end with a cup of tea. And even now when it was just a virtual hangout, a cup of chai was essential to keep the conversations rolling.

And after the session, I realized that there is no particular medicine or a formula to help someone cope up with the mood swings. But a cup of chai comes like an elixir for such emotional adversities. Whether you are feeling loved, crushed, exhausted, stressed, or emotional, chai brings our lives back on track.

Whenever we have guests at our home, a cup of tea is quintessential. The late-night talks with mom, cousins, and friends are incomplete without sipping on a steaming hot cup of chai. Someone in the office says, “Let’s go for tea” and the entire gang instantly shuts down the laptops. “Will you have tea?” has brought acquaintances together and relations closer.Headache?  Sick?  Tired?  Mental block? Celebrations or bashing sessions? Firing or signing a deal?  Chai is one stop solution for all. Anything and everything is incomplete without a cup of chai. And yes it’s Chai and not tea for me. Because for a true desi Indian like me tea is tea but Chai is an emotion to be felt and lived with..

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla, and happily SPONSORED BY RRE Studios and SHOWCASE Events.

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54 Comments

  1. This was a short post fr sure but it gave an insight into your heart. I can understand how you must be feeling. Missing your parents and maternal family is natural. Thanks to technology we at least can see and hear them. I feel the same when I miss my grandsons who live oceans away. We also bond over food while the calls. They don’t have tea but whatever else we eat or drink we keep sharing it. Chai is actually emotion and I have seen much bonding and chatting over a cup of chai.

    1. Supriti says:

      Thank u so much ma’am. Tere was some technical glitch and the entire post didn’t get published when u read this. Please give it a read again if u get time. ☺

  2. Aww..a tight hug to you. I can understand your feeling. I am also waiting for my Indian trip and meet my parents. Sometimes, we need a warm gesture or just a patient listening ear for feeling good.

    1. Supriti says:

      Tight hug to u too ☺

  3. True. Chai when enjoyed with family and loved ones ceases to be a drink, it becomes a moment of enjoyment, an emotion.

    1. Supriti says:

      Absolutely. Thanks a lot ☺

  4. I can’t agree more on this “chai is an emotion”. Especially when it is served with love and care, and if in the company of near and dear ones, either in person or virtually, Yes, yes, it does not remain beverage anymore; it becomes emotion.

    1. Supriti says:

      Thank u ☺☺

  5. For me its coffee that brings out my emotions! My husband and I often have an argument on this as he is a chai person and I am an coffee person.

  6. Monidipa says:

    Spot on! Chai is love… Tea actually makes us happy, maybe there are scientific reasons but for us, Indians Tea is more than a beverage just like you have explained with your story…

    1. Supriti says:

      Thank u so much for ur kind words

  7. Truly even I can relate to your fountain of emotions that comes with a chai cup.

    1. Supriti says:

      Glad u could resonate ☺

  8. This write-up is touching in many ways. Tea is truly an emotion for many of us!

    1. Supriti says:

      Thank u for dropping by Prerna

  9. Priyanka Nair says:

    Aww Supriti, I can understand how emotional we get when it comes to our mayka 🙂 and yes, a lot can happen over tea, I was not at all a tea lover, a hard-core coffee fan, and was the only one who would say no to tea at any family gathering or get-together..but with this COVID I began to sip-in the very famous adrak, elaichi, long wali chai and now I can feel this emotion called chai 🙂

    1. Supriti says:

      For coffee lovers, the emotions are entirely different n I can feel u as my sister is a coffee person. Thank u so much for sharing your views

  10. Oh…I connect with this so much. Being a Tamilian, I grew up on coffee, which I love. I started drinking tea after I started working and got married – both within a year of each other. While mornings begin with either hot milk (yes…I still love it at 42yrs) or coffee, I can’t do without tea in the evenings. And it is not one cup either. Whenever someone comes over I offer tea and make sure I have one as well. On cold or rainy days, nothing peps me up as much as a hot cup of chai with some bajjis. I am a late sleeper and like writing late into the nights he the house is asleep. My companion during these late nights is a cup of tea!

    1. Supriti says:

      Well , even I drink milk twice a day. 😋 but tea has its own place. Thanks a lot for sharing ur views.

  11. Your topic itself had me sold. Chai is truly an emotion and the ones who don’t experience it are lost. And big hug.. 🙂

    1. Supriti says:

      Big hug to u too.. ☺

  12. Chai for me is just not a beverage. The emotions that I get are of comfort. like you were happy seeing your whole family of cousin .

    1. Supriti says:

      Absolutely. Thanks for reading through ☺

  13. That was such a sweet gesture. You are one tea lover. I am not much of a tea drinker but your love for it is infectious.

    1. Supriti says:

      Aww. Big virtual hug to the tea lover.

  14. This post is definitely for a tea lover. I agree a good cup of tea always uplift our mood. Chai is an important part of our life I think. Whether in home or office we can’t live without ‘ek cup chai’ .

    1. Supriti says:

      Definitely. Chai lovers are everywhere. Thanks for reading it through ☺

  15. Definitely agree that tea is a mood uplifter and plays an important part in my life as well

    1. Supriti says:

      Indeed. ☺

  16. I totally agree with you. I can drink Chai at any time and for every mood of mine, my tea would be different. So that’s the reason why I could relate to your post completely.

    1. Supriti says:

      Wow. That’s a unique trait. Else people love their tea a particular way only.

  17. This is called amazing post, chai sometimes act as a stress buster. An unexpected video call gives you immense pleasure that it overflows and comeout in the form of tears. Cheers! Lets have a cup of tea together.

    1. Supriti says:

      Cheers to that ☺

  18. So beautifully penned. We Indians love a cup of chai in every good and bad moments. It’s like an addiction. I was never fond of chai. Never! The day I got married I came across the chai ritual. Welcoming guests with tea, offering in-laws a cup of chai with a greet, all this made me wondered kitni chai pite Hain? But the day my MIL left us abode, in order to give my FIL a company I started drinking a cup of tea every evening with him. Even my morning cup of chai was with him as we both were first, to wake up early. And then I started experimenting and savoring chai of different flavors be it adrak chai, masala chai…. However, I drink twice a day. When alone I prefer coffee. So this is how my habit formed, in sasural.

    1. Supriti says:

      That’s so sweet of u. God bless u always.

  19. Oh. I can so identify with your post. I drink both chai & coffee. But evenings and nights are always Chai-time for me. When I am outside, I prefer to order tea over coffee, the only exception being if filter coffee is available. A cup of chai can refresh me like nothing else can. Chats with friends & family always has to have chai and some snack and of course it is my favorite go-to drink when I sit up late nights, working on my writing, when the rest of the house is asleep.

    1. Supriti says:

      I can so resonate with ur words. Thank u for dropping by ☺

  20. Chai is my cup of solace, happiness, and anytime beverage. Part of the gang. Before starting out any activity at home, chai and then turn on the computer!!

    1. Supriti says:

      Yes. U can’t stay working without a cup of tea ☺

  21. A 100 per cent agreed. for everything CHAI is the solution in India. From bukhar wali chai, sirdard wali chai, covid chai to doston wali cutting chai. Shaam ki chai- India ki chai – sab kuch chai pe chalta hai.

    1. Supriti says:

      It couldn’t have been said better. Ab toh covid wali chai bhi hai 🙄

  22. You spoke my heart ! Chai is not just a beverage its an emotion; a cathartic drink & definitely the tradition of Indian families. Beautiful post.

    1. Supriti says:

      Thank u so much ☺

  23. Yours and mine’s thoughts are mostly same when it comes to chai. Amazing post dear. Keep posting , m huge big chai fan.

    1. Supriti says:

      Thank u so much dear. ☺

  24. Oh, I can’t agree with you more on this. Chai is definitely an emotion and not everyone can understand this. But yes a cup of chai definitely uplifts one’s mood, bringing the loved ones together, creating friendships and much more. Well Written Supriti!

    1. Supriti says:

      Thank u so much. Glad u liked it ☺

  25. chai is one stop solution for all. Anything and everything is incomplete without a cup of chai. Yes it is not just tea but emotions and addiction.

    1. Supriti says:

      Indeed. Thank u for dropping by ☺

  26. you said you are not cry baby..but I am cry baby and when it comes to family I can cry in 2 minute. here in USA I am missing my family so much and due to covid I have no clue when I would be able to visit India. loved your chai take with family meet. indeed happiness of life lives in enjoying small moments.

    1. Supriti says:

      I can feel u Surbhi. Big bear hug to u 🤗

  27. SwatiMathur says:

    Same here.. I can’t imagine my life without tea. It is like a heart and soul. My day doesn’t start without sipping ginger masala tea. Lovely post

    1. Supriti says:

      Hi five in that ☺

  28. Puspanjalee Das Dutta says:

    Being born and brought up in Assam, I can’t imagine my life without tea. You are so apt in saying teas bridge the gap and make a community.

    Regarding staying away from the family, we all are going through this together. This shall pass!

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