Tea Talks

For the past forty years Master Tarachand did not keep the count as to how many students he had taught. Yet, he knew for sure that with his hard work and dedication he had groomed every student with a passion. He would often explain with a smile in the class:

"You all have read about Aladdin’s magic lamp. Your education is going to be your Aladdin’s lamp and its genie will be always under your command. If you ignore your studies, then that lamp will rust and the helpful genie will go to sleep."

The children would laugh it off. Perhaps, the lesson was silently getting imprinted in their hearts.

Master ji always counselled every student who performed below par, “Once a wise man had said that it is better to have few questions unanswered rather than having answers that are not questioned. Accept an answer, no matter under whose authority it is given, only if it is validated by your own experience and wisdom.”

Ten years earlier, two students – Jalaj and Pankaj- left an indelible memory in Master ji’s mind. One reason was their names. Both meant the same thing: lotus. The second reason was their intense competition. If Jalaj stood first one year, the next year Pankaj would claim the top spot. Their healthy competition only grew stronger over the years.

There were two more reasons why Master ji could never forget those two bright students. Despite their fierce rivalry, Jalaj and Pankaj were inseparable friends. And Pankaj was none other than Master ji’s own son. Yet, everyone knew that no favoritism was shown to anyone. While it spoke volumes about Master ji’s honesty and integrity, Pankaj’s self- esteem too bloomed under those fair circumstances.

After finishing school, Jalaj got admission into IIT in another city. Later, he went abroad for higher studies and eventually became a professor in a foreign university. Pankaj, on the other hand, due to Master ji’s modest financial condition, studied at a local college and later completed an MBA from IIM.

Neighbors congratulated Master ji, saying, “Your days of hardship are over now! Pankaj will be surely getting a high-paying job in a multinational company. Your hard work has borne fruit!”

Master ji would only smile, fold his hands in gratitude, raise his eyes to heaven and call it God’s blessing.

However, events took a different turn. To everyone’s shock, despite getting job offers from top companies, Pankaj declined them all and returned home.

When Master ji asked about his future plans, Pankaj said, “Babu ji, I will not take up a job.”

“Then what do you intend to do after studying so hard?”

“I want to start my own business.”

“What kind of business?”

“I am not sure whether you will appreciate, but I want to open a chain of tea shops. Not ordinary ones, but places where people will not just have tea but also share their experiences with each other.”

Masterji frowned. “Money is needed to start one’s own venture! I don’t have that much money to support you. A single tea shop may not require lot of funds, but you’re talking about a chain of shops.”

.“I won’t trouble you for funds, Babu ji. I’ve prepared a business plan, and the bank has assured me of a loan.”

When relatives and friends heard of Pankaj’s business idea, they laughed, “Master ji, you need to put some sense in your naive son! A tea shop? After so much education? If not a job, at least he should do some respectable business.”

But Master ji was unaffected. He ruminated calmly, “If a tea seller can become the Prime Minister of the country, why can’t Pankaj open a tea shop? It’s his decision and I have no right to meddle in his affairs. Moreover, I’ve always believed—and taught—dignity of labor.”

Pankaj, too, stood firm. “Our people are unaware about the changing times. Do they even know that CCD—Café Coffee Day- has over a thousand outlets across India? People go there mainly just to drink coffee and for a certain experience.”

Master ji smiled, “Pankaj, I have full faith in you. God will surely grant you success. But tell me, how will your tea shop be different from Café Coffee Day? Why will people come to your shop?”

Pankaj’s eyes lit up with passion. “Babu ji, I’m not jumping into this business without giving it an ample thought. I’ve spent months on its preparation. I am aware that, ironically, in all our bustling cities life can be very lonely. People are craving to be heard and to be spoken to. Many elderly parents live alone in islands of isolation here as their children work abroad. The ageing population is bound to increase and the situation is going to worsen. My shop will be a place where people can not only have tea but also find company to share their stories.”

He continued, “At the counter, every customer will be asked—do they want to share their story or listen to someone else’s? All stories are welcome- of youth, love, struggle, travel—anything. We’ll build a computer database of storytellers and listeners too.”

“Many people long to tell their life stories. Many more yearn to hear them. My role will be to bring them together on a single platform.”

Master ji’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “But how will you find such people?”

“My MBA taught me that, Babu ji. It will require promotion and branding through advertisement. Registered members will have profiles with their photos and life experiences. Customers can choose in advance whom they’d like to hear or share their own stories with. Feedback will help rate storytellers and listeners. Naturally, those with better ratings will be in higher demand.”

Master ji was enthused, “At CCD, a coffee costs no less than 150 rupees. How much will tea cost in your shop?”

Pankaj replied, “Babu ji, you used to ask us in class—how do we measure the distance between hearts? You also taught that when distances are long, kilometer is not an appropriate unit of measurement.”

Master ji nodded in assent but could not help asking, “Yes. But how is it relevant to my question regarding the cost of a cup of tea?”

Pankaj replied patiently, “I’ve now realized that the distance between hearts can be bridged only through soulful conversations. In my shop, tea will not be priced by the cup but by the duration of the conversations. The longer the conversation, the higher the price.”

He added, further, “Later, we’ll organize sponsored tea sessions where customers pay for the gathering itself. The fee will be shared among the storytellers and listeners. The shop will earn its fair share for providing tea, a clean space and a polite service. Over time, we can extend this concept to other restaurants too. We won’t even need our own shops—we’ll just be integrators, like OYO hotels or Ola cabs.”

Master ji was curious, “What will be the name of your venture?”

Pankaj smiled, “I’ve already decided. It will be called—Tea Talks.”

“For someone with storytelling skills, it can even become an extra source of income.”

Master ji heaved a sigh of relief. He had always trusted Pankaj, but now he was overjoyed to see that his son had kept his Aladdin’s lamp nicely polished. He was making full use of it and it was only a matter of time that the powerful genie would appear to bring the desired results. He felt that the day was not far when ‘Tea Talks’ would spread its fragrance- not only of tea, but also of stories across the world.

Footnotes:

1. This story can be better appreciated if the previous one, ‘Life Math’, has been read.

2. The idea may seem unusual, but it is inspired by the “Time Bank” concept in Switzerland. The concept has been recommended for implementation to Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment by the National Human Rights Commission for India. Additionally, an NGO, Time Bank of India, is already working on something similar for the elderly in our country

3. In the next story, we will return with an interesting incident about Master ji’s other student, Jalaj.