Train Tea

My growing-up years were marked by annual vacations, by train of course which were quite memorable. So at Kharagpur Junction, there used to be a tea seller who, in a high pitched tone would keep selling his tea like this, “khadaap se khadaap chai piyo…chai garam chai…khadaap se khadaap chai piyo!” And I wondered ‘why?’ So I decided to try it once and it was perhaps one of the best I’d ever had. Frothy, creamy, and too too sweet. Bapi admired his selling strategy considering the number of customers he had; and Maa thought his tea was poison . But I loved it. Once it so happened that due to a storm, our Coramondel Express from Madras ran very late. We reached Kharagpur at 11 in the night instead of at 10 in the morning. Disappointed and upset that I won’t be able to have that sugary beverage, cursing the awful winter storm, from afar, to my sheer delight, I heard the familiar words in high pitch, “khadaap se khadaap chai piyo…” Thrilled, I begged Bapi to give me 3 rupees for my sugary indulgence. Grudgingly he gave. I bought my “khadaap” chai, dipped the 2 rupees wala biscuit in it and relished the crispy, uneven lump of maida melt in my mouth, gulped with a sip of sugary, creamy goodness. Aa ha ha…the soul soothing Chaa and Bishkut which only a pakka Bengali would swear by!