Tea Kadai -Episode 03 Jan 7th 2026

 

Though the shop was closed yesterday, 6 January, due to Guru’s ill health, the Doctor, Chellappa, and I still spent some time together, chatting about general matters. Our discussion soon turned to the sudden influx of over a hundred monkeys belonging to two different troops and the frequent infighting among them.

Kalpana, the owner of the adjoining vegetable shop, joined our conversation and recounted how, just last week, the monkeys had snatched away a bag of maize corn along with some other vegetables from her shop. Even yesterday, a few monkeys made repeated attempts to grab the vegetables on display, but a vigilant Kalpana managed to drive them away by brandishing a long stick. Since the tea shop was not open, we all dispersed after about an hour.

Today, the shop opened as usual, and slowly we regulars gathered at our familiar spots—on the steps and on the side bench. As conversations unfolded, the topic gradually shifted to women’s dressing sense. Our freelance journalist mentioned a discussion he had with a couple of women who spoke about an incident within the community. Apparently, a gentleman had commented that women should not wear revealing clothes. The women strongly objected, stating that the choice of clothing lies entirely with the wearer and that no one has the right to dictate how another person should dress.

This discussion drew parallels with a recent controversy involving Sivaji a Telugu actor’s speech at the pre-release event of his upcoming film. During the event, he praised the anchor for wearing a saree while shaming women—including his co-actor—for wearing what he described as revealing clothes, using derogatory language. This act of moral policing quickly went viral across social media and news networks, leading to widespread criticism. Eventually, more than a hundred prominent women from the film industry lodged a complaint with the Movie Artists Association. 

You can see the news Outrage on Sivaji's comments

 Joining this conversation was Mr Gururaj, a visitor to the shop who had come for tea and who had retired from Pond India. He strongly expressed that it was wrong for men to judge women based on their choice of clothing and spoke firmly against the continued moral policing of women by men. All of us wholeheartedly agreed with this sentiment, and soon after, it was time for us to head back to our respective homes for the day.

Tea Kadai Episode 02 Jan 4th 2026

 

                                            

 

  

Today is the day of introductions. There is Vibra Narayanan, the owner of the café; Guru, the skilled hand behind every cup of tea and coffee; Dr Mohandas, a general physician with a passion for photography; Ravindra, a freelance journalist and quoter of famous personalities quotes; Senthil, a former banker; Sundararajan better known as Chellappa—a retired professor from Delhi’s distance learning faculty; and finally, me, Ramesh, a retired building services engineer.

This evening, however, the doctor was absent. The rest of us gathered as usual, settling in while waiting for our tea. As we sat there, a mother and her differently abled son, around 32 years old, walked into the shop. The lady ordered a ginger lemon tea, explaining that her throat was irritated after watching a movie at the clubhouse, where the air-conditioning had not been working.

Guru mentioned that the tea would take a little time to prepare, and in that brief pause, the conversation naturally drifted toward the various issue’s residents had been facing. The lady spoke about the maintenance team—their slow response and what she felt was a general lack of concern for residents’ problems.

Her words resonated immediately with the journalist among us, who was already frustrated by ongoing issues with the cooking gas supply to his flat and this story is for another day. He became animated, voicing his anger and accusing the maintenance service provider of inefficiency and even fraudulent practices.

The discussion grew louder and more intense, opinions overlapping as freely as the aroma of brewing tea. By the time the conversation finally settled, it was time for us to disperse.

Thus, ended another evening at the tea kadai without the presence doctor, but rich in conversation, shared grievances, and the quiet assurance that tomorrow would bring another cup of tea and another story to tell.