The Middle Ground

The first makta here "Marriages are made in heaven." People meet on earth only for a cup of tea :p Tea, arguably is the single most important factor in getting the average Indian marriage fixed. Imagine this, somewhere in the east: Emaculately dressed, a young Bengali lady walks carefully into the living room with a tray laden with the best pieces of china, filled with spiced Darjeeling tea. She serves everybody (The gentleman, his parents, her parents) sitting in the room and finally sits on her chair, erect and eyes lowered. Monster-in-law (imagine the Bingley sisters from Pride and Prejudice): You have decorated your house very well. Mother : Didi, can't do much these days, due to leg pain Monster-in-law (Surprised): Why? Don’t the servants help you? Mother : They don’t enter into the kitchen or the Puja room Monster-in-law (impressed, turns to the young lady, falling into the trap laid just for her:): Oh! So dear, it is you who has prepared the tea? Wonderful! The ...

Tea , known by various names like, te(French), cha(bangle),chaha(Oriya), chai(Hindi), shai(Arabic),is prepared in many ways. The following are popular varieties: There is the spiced concoction popular in places around Shimla, in which, undiluted(unskimmed:)) milk is boiled with cardamom, cinnamon and cloves and simmered after adding the leaves, to make the most delightful matka of thick, malaidar, chai. In regions around Assam, Darjeeling and West Bengal, the leaves -hand-picked and processed with so much affection, their aromas preserved with so much care - are brewed in piping hot water. The liquor is then strained and served with slight sugar and a dash of milk. The result is a brick coloured, thin liquid with the most exquisite flavour. Then there is the Sulaimani, which the Arbabs in the Middle East, drink while smoking the hookah, over a game of dominoes. Leaves from Iran brewed just till the concoction obtains the color of honey, lemon zest added for that freshness. Ahh...Bliss...

When I am in and around Nungambakkam, The Alliance Francais(e) pulls me towards itself.There is always some play or a film festival or a book reading session going on there, not to mention, the delicious freshly baked home made chocolate cake available in their canteen. And so,one Saturday, I suddenly found myself inside their little Auditorium. The play being staged was called 'Madhavi'. The scene being acted was the one in which Madhavi pines for Kovallam(this is a famous Tamil epic), after he has left, never to return(I guess, he is dead). Madhavi spends her days and nights adorning herself with jewellery expecting Kovallam, to arrive in any instant.Selvi, her maid shares her angst. Kovallam never returns.Madhavi becomes insane. But,this particular reproduction of the famous epic, was different. The protagonists, though female characters were enacted by men. The most striking aspect though, were the costumes, the make-up and the props used. The men were wearing flimsy...