Fondly called 'Filter Kaapi'.
I think, the temptation to do what we are
precisely asked not to, is irresistible, around the world, since forever. Just
like the way my brother put his leg in a camp fire right after he was precisely
told not to. He learnt his lesson; I didn’t get a chance to learn mine. I might
have done the same then, maybe if I was not perched on my dad’s shoulders being
just a toddler.
Let me start here. Coffee & tea are
forbidden to children in many Indian families (health-conscious families).
Once the word ‘forbidden’ pops up, curiosity
piques us exactly in that direction.
It starts with a beautiful aroma of morning
coffee that adults enjoy, sipping slowly, the white vapours of fuming brown
liquid, clicking the tongue in appreciation, with occasional 'Ummm..!’,
‘Waah…!’, whirling the glass quickly one last time before the last sip,
following the coffee etiquette; while the kids are given a big mug of the
Bournvita/ Horlicks etc. I'm not saying
I don't like it, in fact, I love it, but coffee always had me in awe. The first
obvious difference was the rich aroma while the amount of vapors the second. My
Bournvita's vapours used to die after a minute or two, unlike the tumbler that
my dad was holding, which fumed continuously till almost the end.
Every time I cast a furtive glance towards
it, my mom would start on the goodness of milk & evil effects of coffee, of
which I've heard all through my childhood. She goes on into the lecturing mode
and believe me, you don't want those lectures at home by a
high-school-teacher-mom.
There was not much time to pester her in the
mornings, but evenings should be good, right? If you think yes, just wait!
My mom had two weapons of diversion.
If friends come home to take me out for the
evening sports, there isn't much time for badgering her, I just quickly gulp
down the Bournvita given to me, while giving her
I’ll-deal-this-matter-presently look & make a move.
Or sometimes if I’m at home, there comes the
shrill cry, "Ah Ice cream, cup ice, cone ice, ah mango, draksha (grape),
ah milk ice," by the ice cream-wala.
She buys me the ice cream I want & the unspoken contract binds me
into not pestering her for the evening. The irrevocable deal is made.
If it's an ice-sproot (Popsicle) children
are given a glass that should be kept directly beneath the ice-sproot, while
eating it, so that it won't drip on to floors (you don't want to hold a glass?
Fine, eat it outdoors). I used to trail behind her with the ice-sproot in my
mouth, a glass in a hand, with imploring looks. Sometimes out of sheer
frustration gives me a coffee, after a lot of swearing though (totally worth
it).
Every time some relatives or friends come
home and enjoy the Coffee made by my mother saying, “Jaya, you make really good
coffee,” it takes all my strength to keep myself composed and not to give
greedy looks towards the cups in their hands.
There was this one time when she was so
annoyed & played a prank on me. She announced, "Everyone will get
coffee today." I was really happy while my dad & brother were going
through the newspaper nonchalantly. She came with a tray with chinaware &
gingerly set down the tray of fuming cups. I was engrossed in a write-up from a
Sunday magazine that was just won – for there used to be a small scale fight to
get hands on the Sunday magazine of Eenaadu, a popular Telugu daily, which
included an awesome coloured magazine catering to people of all ages. I didn't
spare a look towards the tray, but my hands worked their way & brought a
cup to my lips, one gulp and I knew I was tricked. Everyone was laughing, no, rolling, gloating
over their well-planned prank. It was just Bournvita brought in usual coffee
cups.
Later, my mother even stopped taking Coffee
and Tea herself to inspire me. But, alas! I can’t.
I take it when I don't have anything to do,
when I'm in some deep thought, when I want something to be extracted from the
attic of my brain, when I'm reading a novel, in the gap between two classes, to
celebrate, or when I'm feeling low, when I'm about to start a journey, when I'm
on the journey, while watching a movie, to make a decision, when I'm angry,
when I want to stay awake before an exam (though that really doesn't seem to
work) etc., more like, I do many things while taking a coffee.
A South Indian Filter Coffee, though taken
many times a day can never be tagged quotidian, for its a grand ritual of its
own, what else can make anyone's mood change from being churlish to smug
satisfaction with just one cup.
I outgrew all my childhood fears &
inhibitions, but never this coffee thingy. Now I'm far from my parents, yet my
mom manages to call me right when I'm just in front of a cup of coffee, I don't
know how she does that. I used to fumble at first, but now quite conveniently
lie that I'm taking Bournvita, though I suspect she knows the truth, and that makes me nervous, I just hope I
don't fidget that way when I'm on a date, with the special person sitting
across the table, with a coffee on it.
