Cutting chai is an integral part of Mumbai's social fabric, known for blurring party lines and forging unbreakable bonds over shared cups. (Image by arrangement)
A good cup of chai (tea) can work wonders. And if it is Mumbai’s masala “cutting chai” with a friend or colleague then it can even form unbreakable bonds! From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, you will always find a chai shop along the road. After all, a lot can happen over a piping hot cup of ‘cutting chai.’ For the uninitiated, cutting chai is strong masala tea simmered for long and then served in tiny glasses or kulhad (clay cups).
Be it college students, poor labourers or seasoned politicians, the humble cutting chai has a crucial role in blurring party lines, forging bonds and striking timeless conversations. No prizes here, if you are also thinking of Chai pe Charcha!
Stuti Bid reminisces of the times when she would wait for her college lectures to finish and she would dash for a cup of cutting chai with a friend or two. She avers, “The day feels incomplete without that one cutting chai.”
On a serious note, a cup or glass of ‘cutting chai’ has been a great way of connecting with people from all walks of life. “Cutting chai plays a special role in my life as a symbol of warmth, connection and meaningful conversations,” says Fauzia Chaudhary, a social worker from Mumbai.
On a serious note, a cup or glass of ‘cutting chai’ has been a great way of connecting with people from all walks of life. “Cutting chai plays a special role in my life as a symbol of warmth, connection and meaningful conversations,” says Fauzia Chaudhary, a social worker from Mumbai.
For Fauzia, the shared cups of chai have become more than just a hot sipping. “They have become moments that have strengthened relationships and created lasting memories” adds Fauzia.
Swarali Kulkarni, a food & Travel blogger says, “For most of us cutting chai with a snack, biscuit or even sutta (quick smoke) is an emotion.” Whether you have a good day or a bad day at work, a cup of cutting chai with some close pals can act wonders. It acts as a conversation starter and social blender.
"These shared cups of chai have become moments that have strengthened relationships and created lasting memories.”— Fauzia Chaudhary, social worker, Mumbai
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
Next Story
