A Cup of PositiviTea.

Tea....Te'...Shay...Chai are the few names used to describe the wonderful liquid which we gulp down every morning. Often taken for granted a cup of chai as I like to call it brings back so many memories, its refreshing aroma pacifying my groggy sleepy little head and filling my seemingly bleak morning with hope and energy.

In India, my homeland, chai is an important part of our lives. From the wee hours of the morning, rainy and windy afternoons to the quiet evening as the sun sinks beneath the horizon, chai finds its place in the hearts of millions of people. From the steel tumblers of local chai shop where daily wage labourers drink and laugh hard at jokes made by their fellow mates to the porcelain cups served at the houses of elite, every cup of chai has its own story. There is no doubt that chai has indeed bought people around the globe together with its signature texture and its soothing aroma which breathes relief into the tired minds wracked with problems, issues and worries of the fast changing world.

I prefer drinking chai in the evening sitting on the wooden stool in my verandah with the chirping birds to keep me company and a newspaper because we all know that in a common man's life there is no better ship than the chai and the newspaper.

There is another reason why I drink chai in the evening and that is because it helps me reflect on the choices I made throughout my day. Now I know what you may be thinking, “but how does chai help you do that"? Like I implied in the above paragraphs, chai is no ordinary drink. The effect is so calming on your frayed nerves that you often catch yourself off guard thinking about what happened in your day. From the initial scalding sip which we take, to the periodic sips while we read the news or reflect to the final gulp followed by a sigh of contentment and well being, the chai presents a symphony of harmony, reflection and of course that tired smile when u drain your cup empty.

As Lao Tzu rightfully said “ Tea is the elixir of life" , the chai indeed is in elixir of the humanity, a drink which connects people across the world, a breath of fresh air to the fractured minds broken by frustration and disappointments and of course the mirror to people who reflect their experiences in their journey of life. So next time when you sips that cup of chai, sit back and and enjoy basking in the rays of the rising star or in the dying twilight of the darkening evening.

Fellow Chai Lover: Vimal Pillai