the other day, i was sitting with my friend, and having the regular evening cup of coffee in the office canteen. the evening cuppa has become important in our daily schedule, because that helps us unwind and release the mental pressure of the work. a sympathetic ear is always well appreciated.
that day is marked special in my memory, because of what followed next. the glass tumbler, slipped from my hand and spilled the coffee all over the table and the floor. ( see, how cunningly i deflect the fault to nature, as if that didnt happen because of me, but it simply was to happen. i am smart right :p ) few people across the room , turned their head to see who did it or what happened. just a normal response.
If i were alone, probably i would have been highly embarrased, would have paid for the coffee, and left immdeiately.
My sweet friend, he continued speaking or was it listening ( because i am a compelsive chatter). he just took a second off listening to me, and called to the tea master " anna innom oru coffee"
the tea master was also sweet, he simply nodded, gave a pleasant smile, and said, dont bother about cleaning. i will take care.
So, in two minutes, things were back to normal, i was still talking to him, and the incident was forgotten.
the tea master gave a new glass of coffee. as i moved to give him space to clean, he said - no problem sir, i will take care.
my friend didnt even comment, as if nothing happened.
after finishing the cuppa, as we went to pay for the coffee, the tea master refused to charge for the coffee that had been spilled. rightly, he should. he had made three coffee. he said - no, sir. just pay for two.
We said - anna, please take it.
finally we paid only for two, the tea master just smiled.
that was the most beautiful smile ever unleashed on mankind.
the kind of smile, that makes the world still beautiful to live.
My friend, just noted as we came out - did you see the child like joy in his face when he refused to take money.
I said yes. and we both were contented.
small things like this, often reinforce my theory, that romanticism is the way of life.
thank u my friend. thank u tea master.
17 comments:
well in mumbai, they wudve charged for the extra cup, and also if the glass had to break [:p] mebbe ur a regular customer.
dear crd, not only in mumbai, everywhere they would have charge for the extra cup.
what i am trying to point to is that, how much does a tea cost. and in a tea shop, where hundreds of cuppa are made daily, what does one cup mean.
and his action, actually more than money,more than saving me from certain embarrasment, reassured me. infact, he just made a customer into a regular customer.
what happens in most cases is, the shop keeper are afraid that they set a bad precendence of people spilling the tea and not paying, or they think about profit. logic says they are probably right. but definitely, small acts of love like this, are more profitable in longer run, it wins customers, it creates a bon-homie, and it creates a beuatiful world...isnt it
tht was so sweet of them!
its true man..i to had a simmilar xperience dude..the shopkeeper replaced my coffee too..genuine one mac
Hey I have had similar experiences!! Speaks volumes of how careful Im doesnt it!! And when it happens in Mc Donalds i dont feel so bad!! But when it happens in small shops you just feel so nice!!! :)
there was nothing to feel embarrassed about.
@matangi - indeed....small incidences like these often go uncelbrated. my attemp is to celebrate life through small small things like these
@dragon - indeed. and it will happen again. in different places and time. but its how he and we feel after it makes it all the worthwhile to recount
@rashi - indeed....in mc donalds, u wouldnt care a heck, even if u broke the glass....there is a different u, that goes to mc donanld and another u, that goes to small shop. the attitue is same. but probably i think u will appreciate the naunce between the two u....
and more than u, the feeling, the happiness that the shopkeeper gets, thats amazing......
@dear unpretentious diva - indeed there is nothing to be embarrased about, because things like this happen often. its just an event. but unfortunately, there are still people on this earth who are not existentialist!!!
hmnmn....well every one comes across such small incidents in their life..but to actually percieve the romanticism of life in them..nt evry one can do dat rite??...ahh and well...u cud have blamed the gravity for it !!!!..cheers..
@manisha - probably einstein had a premonition thats why he seems to have claimed that - gravity is not to be blamed for people falling in love.....
:)
Very well done narrative of a moment filled with so many things not said but still present. I enjoyed it.
i always wonder how people do manage to find the beauty in every small incident of life. Thats really a great quality :)
enjoyed reading your post. your post reminds me that yet good ness havent totally disappeared around us.
:)
that was so nice of him...but i sincerely feel that, you should have insisted and made him take the money for 3 cups of tea...he deserved at least that much for his humbleness and courteousness...
dear abhinav,
what u say is true.
often i tried to argue which is better - to leave a person happy in his mental bliss or make him happy through material satisfaction. often i have found, when i do the latter, people take offence. i really didnt have it in me to rob his mental bliss!!! probably i was wrong......but thats how things stand
By paying people what we owe, we don't always end up offending them.
Only those people would take offence in such cases, who are very close to us and don't expect us to pay for the gifts/treats that they give us.
But, here the case was little different, and I don't think he would have felt offended in anyway.
I personally feel that, paying him for the extra cup of coffee would in no way have affected his "mental bliss", instead it would have left you happier in your "mental bliss", by making sure that, you not only paid for what you used, but also by doing so, you appreciated and acknowledged his act.
dear abhinav, thanks u agreed that -
"Only those people would take offence in such cases, who are very close to us and don't expect us to pay for the gifts/treats that they give us"
thats what i wanted to say....only here....that very second there was this magic...a beutiful relation that formed....that i felt absolutely connected to him.....its the stuff romance is made of,i would say. ofcourse, i still could be wrong, and perhaps u r right. but if the same situation happens again, and i find the same magic in the moment, perhaps i will just repeat what i have done. but if i find there is no magic, and the person was just courteous, i will insist he take the money.....relations are funny...right?
Hey that's a really sweet post! U r lucky to have such a good frnd & a lovely tea master! My regards to them! :) Where r u based? Hyderabad?
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