How happy we
were in Mumbai! We both had high-flying (read well-paying) jobs on weekdays and friends and family to get together with over weekends. It was a place we grew
up in and absolutely loved. And we both looked forward to settling in the city of
dreams for a long time. Then came the day when Ravi got his promotion. There
were subtle hints at taking up a bigger role and before we knew it, he was
asked to move.
I was almost
in tears the day he left. We had spent a good deal of time living away, traveling over the week and this movement was supposed to be a cakewalk. I had
planned to shift my base and move in with Ravi in a month's time. I took two
weeks off to pack and prepare for the move. Those were depressing days. I
missed him terribly in every place I went and everything I did. And the
non-stop rains added to the gloom. Finally one evening, the downpour stopped.
Even the rain Gods need a chai-break once in a while.
I decided to
take a walk around the block not knowing this was about to change something in
life. It was one of those moments when Destiny takes control of your
life and resets a few applications, closes down some long running ones and
changes the wallpaper. But I did not know this. I pulled up my sneakers, put on
a windcheater and trotted off down the lane. I walked for quarter of an hour
and it became cloudy again. Fearing a downpour, I took a hasty left and started
looking up for a place to park myself
for some time. 'The Happy Cafe' it said. "I had not noticed this one
before", I thought pensively as I stepped in. It was empty save a couple of
tables and a smiling lady behind the cash counter.
"Did I
carry my purse?”, I wondered as I looked at the menu placed before
me.
"I'll
have a glass of water", I said with a nervous smile praying that the
waitress does not guess my predicament.
"A cup of
lemon tea will be better", chirped the waitress with a smile. "I
recommend it in this weather. It makes you happy".
I nodded with a hint of embarrassment.
I fumbled in my pockets for a while hoping there would be at least one bit of currency left carelessly
somewhere. I found five. At times like these, I do not resent anyone being
disorganized or sloppy.
As the
waitress went behind the counter to brew my cup of tea, I gazed at her. She was
in her mid-forties, or late forties at worst. She had a frizzy mane of salt and
pepper and the wrinkles around her eyes and lips had begun to show. She moved
her stout frame slowly behind the counter, almost as if preparing for a ballet,
while humming a tune I did not recognize. Soon she got me the cup of tea.
"Enjoy your tea", she said with a smile.
I smiled back.
I wondered why she was so happy serving me tea. As I sipped the hot concoction,
I shot an anxious glance around. Had I had entered a lunatic's lair? I had
watched enough movies to believe that this is possible and happens to good,
unsuspecting people all the time; more so on a rainy day.
But people
around looked quite normal. There was a group of three teenagers at a table chatting
happily. It looked like a long awaited reunion. There was a young couple at the
table in the corner talking nervously. "Arranged marriage", I
smirked. That brought an end to my unwarranted suspicions. "I watch too
many movies", I told myself admonishingly.
"Happy place, isn't it?" I darted at
the chair next to mine. The lady from behind the counter had seated herself
near me albeit surreptitiously. My nervous twitching resumed.
"I always
like to surround myself with happy faces. That is why we called this The Happy Café.
My husband started it 20 years ago".
I smiled. "Here comes another story", I sighed inwardly as I braced myself to endure another sob story.
I smiled. "Here comes another story", I sighed inwardly as I braced myself to endure another sob story.
"My
husband was very fond of this place. You see, it belonged to his grandfather.
He had a very happy childhood here. When we inherited it, he said to me, Suzie,
I want people to be as happy here as I was. And so we decided to start this
cafe with our little savings. We did not have any children and it gives me joy
to see kids like these come here. On hot summer afternoons, many kids from the
college nearby gather here to write their assignments. How boisterous they are!
And I feel so lively watching them laugh. Fali would be so happy if he were
here".
At this point,
she wiped an absent tear from her eye.
"Are you new
to this place? I have not seen you around much", she pressed on.
I had hoped to
nod through this conversation, wary as I was. But here was a question I had to
answer.
"I live a
few blocks away", I said cautiously.
"I’m glad
you came today. I am shutting this place down, I can no longer afford it",
she said. "The movers might be here any minute”. She looked at the window.
"You must have
some more tea, you are almost shivering", Suzie went back to being the
gracious host.
"I sure
could", I replied. It was true.
Suzie got up
and walked over to the couple. She poured them some coffee, said a few words and
laughed aloud as they smiled at each other.
"Do you
kids want anything?" she asked the reunion members with a genial smile.
I felt a
strange sense of warmth. While Suzie brewed another cup of 'Happy Tea', as she
called it, I looked around the place. It really did have an old-world charm to
it. I could imagine the young couple struggling hard to set up this cafe,
finding solace in each other's company as the day ended and spreading good
cheer in a world where worries and anxiety are ubiquitous. Suzie got me my tea,
we chatted pleasantly for a few minutes before the movers started coming in. I
pulled out my 100-rupee note.
"I don’t
have any change", I said. Suzie shook her head.
"I am
sorry, but I don’t have any change".I repeated.
"No,
no", she said. "No money. We don’t charge anything."
Now I was
really shocked. Suzie sensed my amazement and went on.
"You see,
Fali's grandfather also left him a lot of money along with this place. It kept
us very well off. But not anymore, that’s why I am moving on".
I was truly
touched. I had never seen anyone go to such lengths to spread cheer on a gloomy
day. I shook hands with her warmly and walked back home with buoyed spirits. It
was true; she had made me a happier person. All my gloom of the past few weeks
had receded and I felt confident of taking on anything in life. I walked around
the block for another hour thinking of Ravi and all the happy times we had
spent together. Life was so beautiful.
I was humming
a song when I turned the key to the door.
"Oh good
you are back. I was worried", my mom-in-law quipped. "Singh Aunty
from next door just left. She was very upset. You know their Happy Café? Part
of their Happy Singh chain of restaurants? It was robbed today evening".
I stared at
her.
"Singh Uncle and Aunty had
returned today from a 3-weeks Europe tour to find that the thieves had taken
everything. There were only some used plates and cups on the tables. The
rascals must have had a tea party after the robbery".
I started
laughing nervously.
Fabulous.... very nice
ReplyDeleteThanks, I'm sure you will enjoy reading the other articles as well! :)
DeleteFantastic read Akshata !!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Nimit :)
DeleteGood one akshata. Nice twist at the end
ReplyDelete-Skutty
Thanks Sku :)
DeleteGood one akshata. You can be a script writer for a movie
ReplyDelete- Remya
Thanks Remya. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that... :)
DeleteToo good !!
ReplyDelete-Uma
Thanks dear :)
DeleteGood one akshu :)
ReplyDelete-Dhwani
Thanks Dhwani :)
DeleteNice. O Henry twist ?
ReplyDeleteThanks Sadumam! Yep, O. Henry short stories are some of the finest, also a bit of Somerset Maugham :)
DeleteToo good! :)
ReplyDelete- aditi
Thanks Aditi. Glad you liked it :)
Delete