Two Cups of Tea

Today was just like yesterday. Wretched!

Was it morning, evening or was it midnight...? I didn't care. I wouldn't be even sure about when did I have my last meal.



At 28 years, working in an asset management firm, I had everything in my life that money could buy. Yet had nothing that a life needed. All alone at 2AM at my workspace, I kept clicking the mouse. Mind wandered far away....but eyes transfixed to the screen of my laptop.


I force myself to shut down my laptop. I never carry work home. That was a promise I had to keep. I slid the laptop into the pedestal and locked it.

I stride out of my floor, brooding, as always. The security personnel on duty tonight was an old guard, I smile at him and wave him a good night. Perhaps, that was the only time I smiled in last week or so.


Lifts at work places are generally like taxi cabs in Mumbai or New York city. You never find one when you need one. But at this ghostly hour, they are not much in demand.

I quickly get to the basement and revved up my black outlander. Coming out of the parking lot, at the exit, taking a left would set my path towards home. But, I choose to take a right. I speed up, windows brought down. Wind gushing in and with my hair flying, I feel no different about the day or my life. Wretched! That's what both are.


These are familiar paths.....ones that I have rode on so many times before. At this hour of the day, you have places where you get piping hot tea. These are the road side vendors on bicycles or mopeds or small shacks. You wouldn't find them plenty in number. They always operate in a constant fear of police on night patrol harassing them.


Common thing about these places are, they would always have customers. Soon, I find one of the places I frequent, open. I park my car.

There were 4 guys, 3 bikes, seemingly IT nerds, smoking and having tea.

There was a red indica cab parked, odd color for an indica. And there was a sumo and a tavera. Both white in color, cabs. One of the cabs was playing the song "Aap ki kashish...."


The 3 cab drivers were having their tea near their vehicles.


I ask for 2 cups of tea.


As I sip the tea, I overhear the nerds discussing about one of the latest movie; to be precise, the actress in the movie.

It was a balmy night. Wasn't exactly a cold night.

I sip my cup of tea and watch vehicles zoom by on the road. The streetlight above me flickered and I looked up. The night sky looked darker.


The moon was bright yellow, with grey velvety clouds all around it. It was as beautiful as an oil painting, at the same time had a sense of melancholy about it.

Having finished the 1st cup, I quietly and slowly reach out for the 2nd cup of tea. Did my hand tremble? I didn't care.


She came from a place where people loved coffee more than tea. Perhaps because they grew a lot of coffee there. She loved coffee. Yet, she would always insist to have a cup of tea with me. I am a tea person.


She wasn't here tonight with me to have her share of tea.


It's been a month now. I still order two cups of tea.

The Airport

Life is in total dumps...... As always nothing new about it. Anyways, that's a tale for some other time. It's 2AM, and I am at the airport on an unusually pleasant weathered March night. Pleasant, yes! Just the weather.

The airport was alive with people. Most of them have come to see off some one or the other. Next arrival was at 3AM, flight from Singapore; so there were a few at the arrival area, waiting for some one or the other. Thing about airports is that it makes you feel rich and affluent.... You end up paying 200 bucks for a tea or a coffee and you savor it as if it is usual thing you do everyday. So, while I was ordering for my portion of "nectar", my attention was drawn to an odd couple. 

The guy in his late twenties, balding, dark and lean. The girl too in her late twenties, long smooth black hair, fair and lean. The guy was holding a helmet in his hand, the one that is of the shape of a cooking pot (meen chatti (fish pot) in malayalam) and a shabby bag on his back. The gal had a black over coat and a hand bag, on the ground was the big jumbo VIP check-in bag.

The guy, obviously had rode a bike to the airport and the girl definitely did not come pillion with him. It intrigued me, everything about them. The girl looked way out of league for him. There was an untold sadness in their face. The guy had put a hand around her, as if consoling her or to an effect consoling himself. 

By the time I got my pipping hot tea, the couple had hugged each other in a sad intense manner, mumbling precious nothing and proceeded towards the departure gate. Both looked tensed and sad. The guy looked more emotional than the girl.....!

I stood there sipping my tea watching them indulge in their slow tragic good bye. There were people jostling all around and I wasn't at a vantage point anymore; So I now  moved closer to them and in the way ended up photobombing couple of group pictures.

Finally, the time had come for the girl to enter the security cordon, she holds the guy's hand and nods her head as if telling him not to worry and we will meet soon.

He says nothing, just looks on. She strides into the departure lounge, the bag on wheels in one hand. After a couple of steps...she gives a tentative glance back. The guy hadn't moved from his place, the last permissible area for the visitors. He looked on from there, with his helmet in one hand and the other hand on the barricade. She goes thru the initial security and enters THE airport, from there she waves at him, he

waves back. He stands there motionless, eyes fixed on the girl. Once she got in I couldn't find the girl, she was lost in the crowd inside, but I saw her thru his eyes. His eyes following her, unwilling to say the final good bye. She carried on with her check-in processes, he stood there waiting. I waited with him.

 

The hot tea was now cold; cold, like the breeze that caressed my face. Momentarily, he looked back, his eyes met mine. I could see the tears he had stopped from rolling out in his eyes. He glanced back once more, looking at me for a brief moment longer than what is normal. I looked away.

I stood there, watched him wait till she got into an escalator. As the escalator went up, I knew those were the final seconds of his vigil. He sighed, his shoulder drooped. His gaze was fixed on the escalator, the last place he had seen her. Slowly, he turned back and ambled to the exit. He took his mobile out and tapped on it couple of times before taking it to his ears....looked like he dialed a number; but suddenly, withdrew from completing the call. He puts the phone back into his pocket and walks off.

I stood there wondering about the odd couple. What could be and what not. There was an overwhelming sense of pain in him and somehow unknowingly, I carried back with me a portion of his pain.