The Tea Trail

Antha naal nyaabagam

Kathir took the glass and sipped..he was surprised...

Jeeva : enna da...moonji pragasam aaguthu...

Kathir : Masala tea ne....veetula kudichu romba naal aaguthu...

Jeeva and Meena exchanged glances...happy glances

Kathir continued to sip his tea and the murkiness in his brain cleared a little to make way for buried memories...no not memories, treasures to reemerge...

Ava Kayyaala Tea...Nalla thaan irukku

It was a sunday!! There was no shop to hurry to..he allowed himself to be taken down memory lane..

He was around 9 then and Mullai was maybe 7...at the PS home...all drank tea...But Parvathy always gave Horlicks or Boost for Mullai...Things between the 2 families were all hunky dory and Mullai would often come to PS home with their dad...

On one such occasion, 

She had come home with her dad around 5 pm in the evening..

Kutty Mullai : Athai enakku Boost venum

L Amma : Achoo..nee varuvannu theriyaama poche..athai veetla boost vaangi vekale..itho kadaikku phone pottu eduthuttu vara sollalaam..athu varaikkum nee biscuit sappiduraya..

L amma gave her some biscuits to eat

Kathir who was watching all this went and sat next to her...

Mullai saw him come close and immediately hid the biscuits behind her

Kathir laughed at this and sat down next to her

Kathir : biscuit verumna saappitta menni adaikkum..intha teala mukki saappidu sooper ah irukkum...

Mullai : tea kasakkuma...

Kathir : ille...iru (he wiped his hands) dipped his pinky finger in the tea and let Mullai taste it... 

Evidently Mullai liked the taste for she slowly brought her hand out and went to dip the biscuit...

Kathir : ore mukku thaan udane eduthudanum...illena biscuit udanjudum

Mullai : (did as instructed)...nalla irukku Kathiru...(looking at L Amma) Athai  Boost cancel...

Kathir : sooper ah irukkula...intha saappidu..

Mullai offered him the other biscuit

Murugan and L amma watched this and smiled at each other..

She had taken a sip of his tea...and from then on her addiction to tea began..

The next time she came home..Moorthy and Jeeva were in the hall drinking tea...

Mullai : Amaam Kathir enga...avan tea lernthu enakku kuduppan...

Jeeva : Kathir tea pottu kittu irukkan..intha nee ithu lernthu kudi..

Mullai had a sip but did not like the taste at all..

Kathir came in just then with his tea

Mullai : enna Kathiru intha tea nallave ille....nee kudukkarthu avvalavu nalla irukkum...

Kathir: laughed...naan elakkai ellam pottu masala tea kudippen...intha ithulernthu kudi...

Mullai had Kathir's tea and nodded...ahn ithu tea...sooper ah irukku..

For 6 months after that...this became a routine between them whenever they met...Things of course changed once Kathir's dad passed away..

Kathir came back to the present..he knew this was extra work...he didn't want her to do anything extra for him