My World in a Teacup

 Dear friends, I am most happy to share this little mood piece by Mansi Chaturvedi. I started reading and was wafted away to a much loved place and another era. Do get yourself a cup of tea before you settle down to lose yourself in Mansi's world. -Gowri

I remember sitting in the verandah of my huge bungalow, amidst the green of the tea garden, where the silence around me was disturbed only by the sound of the falling rain on the roof top and all around me. I remember seeing giving a nice wash to all the plants that I had arranged around my bungalow. There was no one to be seen, I guess they paused work for a while as they were waiting for the downpour to stop.

I was looking out and enjoying the rain, and it is really beautiful to watch it from where I did. The tea tray had been put down and tea was poured out from the tea pot. A few biscuits just as add-ons to enjoy this tea. I have had tea for many years. I remember making it - you know how the Indian masala chai as it is called - is made. It is left to simmer till you are satisfied with the aroma of the fresh ginger in the tea and the colour that you would want it to transform into. Here I was, sitting with someone serving me tea in a proper tea set. It took me a while to realise that this was it, for every time it was brought and served that way, I would feel like a guest in my own house. Why so proper and why do I get a different flavour and colour that I never ever knew tea had? It would get more complicated when I would be told it is tea from 'the first flush'. 'A very delicate flavour', they would say, and I would just sip on it, in the most dainty manner I could.

Tea for me is an addiction, something that I cannot start my day without. Always an early riser, I would quickly have the first cup made all by myself in my way and it would just energise me and I would be ready for the day. But what never changed was having tea in the verandah, looking out at the tea garden around my bungalow and it would just feel like heaven. The silence was something most welcomed by me, coming from a city. Yet to enjoy this silence I needed my companion, my cup of tea. Getting up early, though normal for me, was a punishment for the watchman in my bungalow who never thought he would have to be on his toes so early in the morning. The moment the bungalow servants were in my tea would transform into a different flavour and colour. No matter how many times I would explain to them to get me tea the way I wanted, they would stick to their elaborate serving of tea throughout the day.

Tea was really different in a city and in a tea garden which I realised once I was there. The entire process from tea leaves being plucked, carried to the factory, the aroma of fresh tea being prepared and then getting to taste the tea fresh is an experience in its own. Never did I imagine I would be enjoying tea sitting amidst all the greens in my verandah watching the rain fall and sipping the 'first flush'.

I think many others might relate to this story and experience.

About the writer:

My name is Mansi Chaturvedi. I am based in Kolkata. I am a published writer and a blogger. I had been part of the tea family for 15 years as my husband was working for Tata Tea. We had a wonderful experience in tea gardens both in Dooars and Assam. 

Is this your first visit here? Welcome to Indian Chai Stories! Do you have a chai story of your own to share? Send it to me here, please : indianchaistories@gmail.com. 

My name is Gowri Mohanakrishnan and I'm a tea planter's wife. I started this blog because one of the things that I wouldn't want us to lose in a fast changing world is the tea story - a story always told with great seriousness, no matter how funny - always true (always) - maybe a tall tale, maybe long, short, impossible, scary, funny or exciting but never dull. You will find yourself transported to another world! 

This is the link to all the stories on this blog: https://teastorytellers.blogspot.com/
Be sure to add it to your list of favourites! Happy reading!! Cheers to the spirit of Indian tea!

My First Home

by Mansi Chaturvedi

Good evening, dear readers! It’s lovely when the stories start pouring in again, and I’m delighted to welcome Mansi Chaturvedi to our band of writers. Mansi writes with affection and wonder about her arrival in the Dooars as a ‘tea bride’. 

They say a home is where the heart lives. For me my first home as a bride was the beautiful TataTea estate DamDim in the Dooars. Every girl visualises how her home is going to be once she settles down with her partner. For a man who has been a bachelor for some years, taking up responsibilities and changing his style of living is also rather difficult.

Picture of DamDim T.E. from https://www.getbengal.com/details/from-tea-bush-to-tea-cup-enjoy-damdim-s-super-tea-trail

My husband was an assistant manager at DamDim Tea Estate when we got married in the year 1999. My parents were sceptical about how I was going to adjust from city life to life in a tea garden. I on the other hand was really excited, and the moment we arrived at the estate I was so thrilled to see the sprawling green surroundings. My bungalow was huge and the view of the Kanchenjunga on a bright clear day was mesmerising.

I had started to settle in and started rearranging everything in my new abode. There was nothing much to bother about as I had so many bungalow servants who would do anything for us. The best part in the bungalow was the guest room which was called the 'Faaltu kamra'. The word ‘faaltu’ means ‘useless’ in Hindi, and it was funny to hear them say so. It took me two three days to do up my home and every evening my husband would be happy to see the changes.

It had just been four days and we were invited for a party at the 'factory bungalow', the deputy manager's bungalow near the factory. I was amused to hear these names. The party went on till midnight, and being the new bride, special care was taken of me. 

We returned home and it was a lovely drive. The only thing was that I found it weird that there were no street lights. The only light was from the headlights of the car. We reached home very tired, and the moment I entered I saw my bungalow in a mess. The sofas had been turned upside down, the carpet rolled up, the decorative items all disarranged and scattered all over as if it had been ransacked. My husband remained cool while I was losing it completely. 

The night chowkidar had no reply and no one knew what had happened. I had taken such pains to do up my home and it was all undone. To my surprise there arrived two cars . It was past midnight and my husband welcomed the guests with the rooms all messed up. He introduced me to them and I kept myself calm and composed. 

I was a bit reluctant to meet them, wondering what would they think about my house and me. Tea was ordered, which took very long. On enquiring I was told there was no milk or tea. I had never been in such an awkward situation. When I joined my husband and guests, I came to know all that had happened. 

While we were away, these friends had come in to mess up my house, something that they always did when anyone got married - and then they would come back again after a while pretending they had never been there! It was all taken in good spirit and everyone laughed about it. They apologised for what they’d done, as they could clearly make out it was not funny for me. That is how they used to have fun with friends and family in those days at our tea estate.

You might find this weird, as I did initially, but I would like to let you know, my stay in a tea garden was the best part of my life after my marriage. The memories I made there, the friends , the fun and the bonding I have never ever seen anywhere. It has been twelve years that we left and settled down in a city, but we still long to go back and live life again in the midst of nature. There are so many instances that happened with us in every tea garden where we stayed, but DamDim Tea Estate is the home where my heart lives.
  

About the writer:

My name is Mansi Chaturvedi. I am based in Kolkata. I am a published writer and a blogger. I had been part of the tea family for 15 years as my husband was working for Tata tea. We had wonderful experience in tea gardens both in Dooars and Assam. 

Is this your first visit here? Welcome to Indian Chai Stories! Do you have a chai story of your own to share? Send it to me here, please : indianchaistories@gmail.com. 

My name is Gowri Mohanakrishnan and I'm a tea planter's wife. I started this blog because one of the things that I wouldn't want us to lose in a fast changing world is the tea story - a story always told with great seriousness, no matter how funny - always true (always) - maybe a tall tale, maybe long, short, impossible, scary, funny or exciting but never dull. You will find yourself transported to another world! 

This is the link to all the stories on this blog: https://teastorytellers.blogspot.com/
Be sure to add it to your list of favourites! Happy reading!! Cheers to the spirit of Indian tea!