Tea Kadai conversations – Episode 17

These days Chennai has been scorching and sizzling, with temperatures hovering around 40°C and the "feels like" temperature touching 45°C. At such temperatures, even stepping out of the house feels like volunteering for a tandoor experiment. Unsurprisingly, very few residents of Ashiana Shubham venture out at around 4 p.m. in the evenings.Yet, almost like clockwork, I get ready every day to walk to the tea kadai and spend some time with regulars such as Doctor, Senthil and Sundararajan at our favorite bench. Whether the sun is blazing mercilessly or the clouds are threatening to flood the city, my attendance at the tea bench remains remarkably consistent.

My wife never misses an opportunity to tease me about this habit. She says I get ready every afternoon as though I am a schoolboy preparing for class, complete with the same enthusiasm and sense of duty. According to her, if there were a prize for punctual attendance at a tea kadai, I would have won it several years in a row!

For the last three or four days, there have been repeated predictions of rain. Every time dark clouds gathered, we confidently declared that rain was imminent. Unfortunately, the clouds seemed to be following the modern trend of making promises and not keeping them. They arrived, posed dramatically for photographs, and quietly disappeared without delivering a single drop of rain.The relentless heat is beginning to show everywhere. Even the flowers in our gardens appear tired and exhausted. The Ashanti Blood (Red Flag) bush, which usually stands proudly in full bloom, now looks as though it too is waiting impatiently for the weather forecast to come true.

 

 

The intense heat took its toll today, the 6th of June. At around 4 p.m., one of the housekeeping staff members who was sweeping the roads within the community suddenly fainted, apparently due to dehydration. Fortunately, Doctor happened to be passing by on his way to the tea kadai. The tea bench may be our regular destination, but on this occasion the journey itself became important. Doctor immediately attended to her, checked her condition and made her drink ORS, which helped revive her.She was then taken to the Care Home for observation and any further treatment that might be required. Later, her supervisor informed us that the fainting was due to a combination of dehydration and blood pressure-related issues. Everyone was extremely grateful for Doctor's prompt action. We were subsequently informed that she was doing well and was later taken home by her son.

Today was also a special day for us personally—it was our 43rd Wedding Anniversary. We were married on 6th June 1983. Looking back, our married life has been something of a roller-coaster ride, though at our age we would probably prefer a slow-moving battery-operated vehicle with good suspension! There have been ups and downs, challenges and happy moments, but together we have managed the journey reasonably well and ensured that the family was looked after.

Normally, our daughters take charge of the celebrations and make sure the day does not pass unnoticed. Since they are not around this year, there were no cakes, decorations or grand events. We simply exchanged wishes with each other and carried on with the day.After forty-three years of marriage, perhaps that is celebration enough. We no longer need elaborate surprises. The fact that we can still sit together, remember the journey, and occasionally tease each other about tea kadai attendance records is itself a blessing worth celebrating.

As for tomorrow and days to follow, unless the temperature reaches the surface temperature of the sun, I fully intend to report for duty at the tea bench at 4 p.m. sharp!