I smiled at my hostess.She stopped on her way to kitchen and said ,"No.make it clear.What do you like to have .Tea or coffee ?". I decided to go for a Coffee and I said "MMnnn....Tea".This is where I become so helpless , my mind says one and my tounge utters another.She brought a cup of steaming tea and a couple of cookies in a plate.I sipped the thick sweetened liquid and tried hard not to smell the milk in that.At the rim of the cup, tea converged with its brown colour.I kept on smiling so that my dislike for the milk tea wouldn't be expressed.I swallowed each sip as I framed my answers to her queries in Tamil.I remembered my mom's words." Today onwards make your tea yourself".She 'd be taking back the cup of tea I rejected for it was stirred by a spoon that formerly served to stir my mom's milk tea.
As a kid I used to be a fan of the children's science magazine "Eureka" in Malayalam.It was an article in Eureka that made me aware of the presence of Caffeine in coffee and Thein in tea.I gave up coffee and tea completely afraid of a possible cancer.My mom congratulated me for being so deterministic ( She din't had any clue how she was going to be embarrassed because of my determination).
I was in 3rd std then.Once a couple of our relatives payed us a visit.After the usual chit chats , my mom served them tea. I warned my mom "Don't give them tea.They will die of cancer". She ignored me with a smile.No time to waste.I ran to the visitors and told them not to drink the tea ( Yeah...some directors are like this ...they 'll brutually copy things even from a kid's biography...I'm not talking about Fasil or Manichithrarhazhu...generally..).The visitors, afraid of a possible interchange of salt and sugar left the cup .My mom came and told them 'the naughty kid was kidding'.I couldn't understand why my mom want to put those lovely people's life at stake.I cried in front of them and explained about Caffeine and showed them Eureka for proof.They all laughed at me and continued with the tea.When the visitors left our home , mom advised me not to panic on others health.She said "just mind yours".
A couple of days latter we were visiting my dad's friends place.When they served tea , I became conscious of my health(Only my health).I declared " I don't take Tea"."Coffee?" , I said "No" as if she had asked me to be a suicide bomber.I ended up having grape juice (Now I can imagine my parents embarrassed faces).My dad waited till we got outta that house.I got enough firing.Mom tried to make me understand the difficulties of hosts.This time she advised me to ignore the tea if I don't want and not to ask for alternatives.
From then I used to leave the glasses untouched and latter when I myself was aware of the obligation to the host , pretended to take a sip and left it as such.Some one advised me not to waste tea ,once.
With time I started liking black coffee , then black tea.But I genuinely hated the smell of milk.Except at a friend's home I ne'er got my perfect tea.So Its me who make my favourite tea at home.If it is mom , it will go through a round of rejections as applications in Govt.offices. Lately I found out making best black tea in coffee machines(he he...machine serve hot water only).Some times I feel like our kitchen has become a small Brazil ,exporting that much of coffee.Now a days a cup of hot black tea is the perfect decor for my cubicle in office.But I cherish those times sipping from a cup of steaming black tea watching the rain , that too at home.
