.....and I started liking chai

Don’t come at me, but I’ve never liked the smell or taste of chai. However, I like it whenever that chaiwala comes into the office.

I recently joined a company as an intern for 3 months. It’s a big deal, I have started earning, and I knew I’d be taking experiences of my field from here, but I didn’t think I’d be returning with the fondness of chai. For my whole life, I have hated the smell of chai and I don’t even remember the last time I tasted it.

On my first day, around 10 am I saw a guy come in, I thought he had come for an interview, he was wearing formals and was very well groomed. At that very moment, he produced a thermos from his hands and a pack of small paper cups. I was confused. He served tea to all the employees and asked me if I wanted a cup of chai, I said no, and he went away. He was the chai wala. I was dizzy because of the chai smell all over the office. I couldn’t complain, it was my first day. As the day got busier and tiresome, around 3:30 pm my colleagues started asking each other where Ashish was and when was he coming. At first, I thought Ashish was one of the employees who was on leave. The chaiwala came in and everyone started asking him “Ashish where were you? We were waiting for you.” I was shocked. THEY WERE MISSING THE CHAIWALA. He smiled and filled 7 cups of chai and gave it to them, he didn't ask me, he remembered I don't drink chai from the morning visit. Everyone turned away from their screens and started chitchatting in that little chai break, and that was the moment I started liking chai.

It's been 2 weeks since I joined that office, and I wait every day for 4 pm just to see the joy on everyone's faces. However the day goes, hardworking and tedious, Ashish comes as a saviour every day at 4 pm and my colleagues find joy in that little 5-minute break from work. I don't drink chai and maybe I never will. But I will always remember the happy faces and how people in their busy days find those little things that make them happy and recharged to get back to work.