seguing tea: chai say chai tak

seguing tea: chai se chai tak

(for the lahori chatkhori @FShirin)
Koi farq nahin ho ga

janay kya baat hay 
chai ki mehak maiN
jo lay jaati  hay 
yaadouN ki baraat maiN 
roz o shub humaiN


the chainak 
in qissa khwani bazaar
in 'soldered' china
the taste imprinted
forever in the mind

the doodh-patti
by the road side stall
past jungshahi
on way to thatta

the aroma
of the tea in pokhara
watching on a clear day
dhaulagiri, annapurna & manaslu

just before nathu la pass
outside baba's mandir
the tea from the shack
reminded me of 
that welcome cuppa
half way through kalka-shimla
at the petit station 
shrouded in fog
just before the arch bridge

and it wasn't tea
but the sweet coffee
in the kanya kumari bazaar
and in chennai
at the marina beach

not to ignore 
the kashmiri chai
by the dilapidated bridge
in jammu

and how can i remiss
the tea break 
at erstwhile cafe liberty
during the pre-final 
marathons at 3 am

and then there is 
the ever present mug
beside my desk
that cascades and segues
present and past
in gratefulness
refilled all day long
by m