TEA

    Sitting on a bench near the “Ramu Tea Stall” Vivaan stared across the street at the school. All the memories from the past flashed in front of his eyes. He could clearly hear the school bell going ‘tantantan’ early in the morning, to mark the beginning of a new adventure. The running in the corridors even though the teachers shouted ‘Don’t run in the corridors’. He also remembered the tiffin breaks, how he and his friends shared the yummy delicacies they brought each day. 

    It was hard to forget the times when they played in the ground not worrying about the condition of their white school shirts. They would come home wrapped in the dirt and few scratches only to hear the scoldings of their beloved mother. 

    Moreover, it was hard to forget the school trips and competitions they went on together. Though they never managed to win, they made sure that they enjoyed themselves. 

    Sipping through the tea, he recalled the jokes and funny conversations with his squad in this very spot. That’s when a smile found its way to his lips. They gathered there to discuss the problems and solutions they were facing in life. Drinking the tea they all loved, they got over failures they faced in life, together. ‘Ramu Chacha, you make the best tea in the world,’ they would say after every sip of tea. 

Every fight for whose gonna pay Ramu Chacha, never slipped Vivaan’s mind even though he was in his sixties.

    It was hard to find a job after school and college because they weren’t very good with grades. Yet, they somehow managed pretty well and lived a decent life. They might have failed in few school exams, but it turns out they passed in the exam of life with flying colours and of course cherish-able memories.   

    ‘Vivaan’ came a voice from behind. He turned around to find his school friends approaching him with happiness glistening in their eyes. It was quite a while, approximately fifty years, since they had a reunion in their most memorable spot. They were gathered to remake some memories and have yet another cup of tea.