44. Indian Chai Stories: The First Friday of 2024
A very Happy New Year to all the lovely folks at CFC/FOM!
The New Year is a time for friends old and new. More old than new today, as ‘Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind’ plays on in my head. Memories of crawling home in the early hours from merry gatherings at the club made me think of this story by my old friend Roma Circar. I loved it when I first read it almost six years ago, and it remains one of my favourites.
We’ve been reading tea memsaabs’ recollections these last few weeks. There are plenty more to share. Now the men – the planters – tell you stories of a different kind. Being gentlemen, they will wait for their turn.
Roma describes the chai bagan saheb with inimitable flair: ‘Like a De Beer’s diamond, a planter radiates multiple facets. He is the original Superman, identified not by a swirling red cape, but rather a prosaic pair of shorts.’ Over to Roma, then.
Enjoy your read. I’ll be back next Friday with another Indian Chai Story – yeh vaada raha!
– Gowri Mohanakrishnan
Indian Chai Stories
This segment is a result of our fruitful collaboration with Indian Chai Stories, a blog by Gowri Mohanakrishnan, a planter’s wife who’s been writing tea stories for many years and is also an active supporter of Chai for Cancer
Her stories come straight from the tea gardens of India and are best enjoyed with a cup of garam chai.
So go ahead #raiseyourcup #DrinkToACause
Visit www.chaiforcancer.org to donate towards our cause.