Pakodas, the Chai and the Rains

             Bhanu, the chai wala whose small canteen is open in the suburbs of the busy city, is very busy with his calculator. He looks sullen today of all days. “It’s raining Bhanu, cheer up”, one college student teases him while paying at the counter. Bhanu gives him a nonchalant look and acknowledges the younger man with a half-smile. Bhanu’s canteen is surrounded with colleges, tuition centers, office buildings and is placed at the center of a busy market area. His canteen is also clean and cheaper than the nearby KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonalds, etc. So, naturally Bhanu and his canteen are very popular with nearby college students, office goers and school going teenagers. Bhanu is also doing well in his business. Still Bhanu seems distant always. But his catering boys are so sweet and smiling that you can forget about the owner. Bhanu might be paying them well. 

            Forget about Bhanu though. Rain Gods are playing havoc. It’s chilly and Bhanu’s hot pakodas and chai are a welcome treat for any rain lover. And trust me, the place is hustling bustling with orders and guests this evening too.

            Six school going teenagers are at the table nearby the exit door. They are busy talking about some physics assignment. Waiter Rony brings them their order and is about to go back to the kitchen. Arun, one of the boys shouts, “Rony Bhaiya, how could you forget the mint chutney?” Rony smiles back and yells, “ला रहा हूँ यार (bringing that buddy)”.  Vivek barks at Arun, “You are thinking about Chutney now. Concentrate on the assignment; we have to submit it tomorrow morning”. Kabir and Danny also urge Arun to concentrate. The two girls, Radha and Shweta sitting with them are busy making some charts and look at Arun disgustingly.

            Kavita and her boyfriend Vishal are quarreling at the table towards the corner from last one hour. They have finished their tea and pakodas. It seems Vishal is not happy with some outstation assignment Kavita has got and she will have to move to Hyderabad for five months. Vishal asks her to reject the opportunity as his mother may visit him next month and he wants that Kavita meets his mother this time. Amit, the waiter who was attending them, comes to them and asks them politely, “Sir, और कुछ चाहिये (do you want anything else)”? Vishal confirms that they want nothing else and continues quarreling with Kavita. Amit clears his throat and tries again, “Sir, other people are waiting”. Kavita turns towards him and says, “देख भाई, हम यहाँ रोज आते हैं (we come here daily)”. Amit replies, “Yes Ma’am, you come here daily but there are lots of guests today and many are waiting for a vacant seat”. On that, Kavita and Vishal vacate the seat grudgingly. Amit seems relieved, but he is surely not getting any tip from them though.

            Azhar and Zoya are sitting at the table towards the other corner of the canteen. They got engaged recently and seem happy. They are pleased about everything around them. Rony goes to attend the lovey-dovey couple and is waiting for the couple to decide on the menu. Zoya asks, “आज बैंगन पकोड़े try करते हैं (let’s try deep fried eggplant fritters today)”. To that Azhar, replies, “No Darling, I am allergic to Eggplant”. Zoya exclaims, “Oh really? I never knew that". Azhar asks, “Let’s order आलू के पकोड़े (fritters made with potatoes)”. Zoya replies with a big no.  Rony patiently listens to their chit chat with a smile on his face. Finally, they come to a decision to order Gobhi pakodas (deep fried fritters of cauliflower florets).  Rony takes their order and heads towards the kitchen again.

            A big noisy college group is seated in middle of the room at the big table with ten chairs. However, there are more than ten people it seems and orders are coming from the group every ten to fifteen minutes. Ramesh is attending them and these people have kept him on his toes since they had walked in. Every ten minutes he can hear his name being called, “Ramesh Bhaiya?” It is someone’s birthday in the group today and all other youngsters are looting the host’s pocket money for sure. No sooner than Ramesh comes with the tray laden with different types of fritters and tea, the young very hungry group finishes everything in a jiffy and is ready to place their next orders.

            Next to the noisy group, two very busy professionals are seated with their laptops blinking and every now and then their mobile phones ring and they talk business. They are super restless; they want their orders as soon as possible. Kareem, their waiter has been called two or three times already to be asked when was he going to serve them within the last ten minutes. Kareem tells them it is getting ready with his ever smiling face. And the two gentlemen ask him every time to bring the order faster. Finally in fifteen minutes, their order is ready and Kareem serves them. The two gentlemen, however, are in no hurry to finish their order and leave the place.

            Near the counter to the left, this old couple, Mr. and Mrs. Murthy, is seated. They are sipping their sugar free cups of hot tea and are remembering the good old days when this canteen was run by Bhanu’s father and it was so less noisy. They wish those good days to return and this tea should not cost 30 damn rupees now. It used to cost only Rs.2 per cup those days. But they are regulars here and they always place their orders at the counter to Bhanu. Bhanu makes sure that they are seated near the counter and their orders are served with utmost care.

            To the right of the counter, a group of five friends are enjoying their cups of tea and mirchi pakodas (fried fritters of green chillies). They are busy in their idle chit chat when another of their friend enters the canteen and shouts at them, “वो मान गई यार (she has said yes)”. And then the other five cheers him and calls out in unison, “Party!!!” They start whistling and the friend who has just entered the room smiles from ear to ear.

            The place occupied by Kavita and Vishal a few minutes ago is now taken over by Pari and her mother. Pari is a sweet engineering student who is attending her final year. She is a bright student and is known to be a topper at her college. Amit takes their order of two cups of lemon tea without sugar and one portion each of gobhi and palak pakodas (deep fried fritters of cauliflower florets and spinach leaves). Pari’s mother is as usual obsessed with her ever increasing waist line. But even she cannot resist the temptation of fried fritters at Bhanu’s. She makes a special request to Amit to bring more tissue papers so that she can wipe off the oil from the pakodas before gobbling them. That is not the only worry in the world she has. She worries more for her daughter’s studies. She is asking Pari to get at least 90% this time in her final semester of engineering. Pari rectifies her mother once more that nowadays it is not percentage, it is CGPA. Then her mother asks her to get ‘A’ grade in every subject. Pari agrees because she knows she can never win this ever going battle.

            One more table, table No.8, is placed at the farthest corner of the room where this gentleman is seated with his family of four, his wife, one naughty little boy and another sweet toothless toddler and himself. His wife keeps scolding the little boy, “Ravi, do not touch the glasses, थप्पड़ पड़ेगा वर्ना (you will get a slap otherwise)”, or, “Ravi, चम्मच को रखो जगह पे (keep the spoon at its place or else I will beat you)”. Kareem goes to their table and asks what they would like to order. The gentleman asks Kareem if the canteen serves any non-veg food. When Kareem informs that this place only serves pakodas and chai, the gentleman asks again if they serve any non-veg pakodas made with chicken or fish. When Kareem ensures that they serve only veg items, the gentleman presses again and tells Kareem that he wants to be doubly sure that he is not served any non-veg food or something which might be cooked near any non-veg item. Kareem confirms that they do not even use eggs in their kitchen. So this gentleman places his order for two portions of Onion fritters and two cups of ginger tea. Kareem smiles and heads towards the kitchen.

            Near the hot furnace inside the kitchen, the two helper boys Raju and Mannu are waiting for the busy evening to end. Raju is busy preparing the batter for the fritters with gram flour and also cutting the vegetables at the same time. Mannu is preparing the tea and is busy hovering over the hot kettles of milk and brewing tea leaves. Sarju uncle, wiping his forehead, is supervising the two boys and is busy arranging the orders the waiters have brought in. Kareem walks into the kitchen with the order of table No. 8 and says, “चाचा लो एक और order (uncle, take one more order)”. Sarju notes down the order and the table number. Kareem asks the boys, “आज तो बारिश हो रही है, कैसे जाओगे घर (it’s raining today, how will you go home)”? Raju and Mannu give him a forlorn look. Sarju scolds Kareem, “मेरे लड़कों को तंग मत कर, जा अपना काम कर (don’t tease my boys, go do your own work)”. Kareem leaves with a smile.

            Bhanu, looks at the grandfather clock hanging in the wall and finds that it is now eight in the evening. In another one hour, he will have to close the canteen. He has to reach the bedside of his ailing wife. He is worried that he might get delayed in the traffic due to the rains. He is afraid that she might go before he reaches the hospital. She was not looking too good when he left her for work today morning. He truly hopes that he is near her when she breathes her last.