Lockdown Chores

There are certain things out there in the world, in books, in movies, in memes, in poetry that we don’t understand or relate to. One of those things, for me, has been the love for chai (tea).

I have never understood that uncle who asks for 10 cups of tea in a day, never understood friends who attach tea with nostalgia and limerence. It’s not just people, books and movies are also filled with romantic anecdotes of tea. Tea breaks at Tapri and tea dates at Irani cafes were sacrosanct in college. Some people paired it with Brun Maska and some with cigarettes (chai-sutta). At times, tea became the glue that gelled people instantly. They said tea can be a comforting company on a lonely day or something that one turns to after a tiresome schedule. Long-distance friendships were also rescued by tea; tagging each other in chai related memes became a thing.

Sigh. I was never a part of this party. I have had tea but only to give company to people. I have even been borderline irritated at friends who made assumptions and ordered tea for me without asking. I am in my mid-twenties and somehow a cup of tea or coffee never made their way to my daily routine.

However, things change. As they say, these are not normal times. While in the last five months the world around me has changed drastically, I couldn’t help but notice how ‘tea’ tiptoed its way into my life. I have been home since March. When the house chores got divided in an unstated way, brewing the evening tea became my job.  I was indifferent. I had no business with tea. I did not make it for myself and only followed the regular obvious way of making it without giving it much thought.

However, eventually, after doing this for a few days, I realised that I have started looking forward to it. It gave structure to my day. Now, I knew exactly what I have to do as soon as work got over. Honestly, when everything in the world is bizarre, predictability becomes comforting.

I started walking towards the kitchen with a little jump in my feet. From a ‘chore’ it became a part of my day that helped me unwind. Long days of work became better by watching the simmering tea change its colour from milky white to sunset orange. It was my time of solitude. I stared at the tea, imagined shapes in the froth as it subsided and thought about nothing. It calmed me down. 

Yesterday, when the tea was almost done, I let my face soak the steam and lungs fill up with the essence of ginger, cardamom and tulsi. And there it was my ‘Julie and Julia’ moment. I think this is the closest I have come to tea. 

Not a cup, but a pan of tea has certainly become a part of my life now.