The cup feels warm in my hands. I know the doctor told us to cut down on our sugar intake, but what is life when you have chai without sugar! My husband of 52 years sits beside me breathing in the fresh morning air. It feels so calm here, so serene. After 4 days of wedding hungama, we’re finally getting to enjoy the calm after the storm. “I still cannot believe it is over”, I sigh as I tell my husband, “Our little baby is married”. He looks to me and smiles in acknowledgment as I remember the day that Priya told us about Nick.
It was exactly a year ago when she called at 8 am as she wanted to take us somewhere. Our granddaughter, Priya had flown down to Bengaluru for the holidays and calls like these had become common. She seemed stressed as she drove us all to a place called “The Tamarind Tree”. One of the first things I remember about this place was the jovial dogs that greeted us as soon as we got off the car. Ever since she was a child, Priya loved coming to play with the two dogs at our house and we always bonded over our profound love for dogs.
We walked inside and were pleasantly surprised when the staff greeted us and asked my husband if he would prefer walking the rampway as he used a cane and there were steps inside. Priya refused to tell us what this place was and why we were here, so we had to go in and see for ourselves. And to be honest, we could not figure out what the place was for a long time.
We wandered in to be welcomed by a breath of fresh air from the innumerable trees everywhere. There was a pond amidst the trees with the tranquil of the water being disturbed by a tiny bird looking for feed. The morning rays of the sun peeped through the trees and it felt like there was positivity floating around in the wind. Our arrival seemed expected as Priya had arranged for us to be seated under a stone pillared structure overlooking the beautiful landscape of the pond.
She seemed so jittery and unlike herself. She made us sit and returned with chai for us. If she ever wanted her grandparents’ support in something, she’d make a good cup of tea and then put her case forward. It was a foolproof system, and this time was no different. But along with the chai, she bought a person. Ruffled blond hair, light eyes and a warm smile. “Ammamma, Appa, meet Nick” she said.
Over the next hour, she went on to tell us how they met at college and how they fell in love and that she understood that they came from different backgrounds and cultures and how it might be too much to take in at once.
All the while, my mind kept going back to the hundreds of “tea parties” I had with her as a child. It was the same girl, yet so mature and about to embark on her biggest adventure. We were so overwhelmed by the news and how she felt the necessity of our approval to go forward. She offered to take her grandfather for a walk around the property, so I would get a chance to speak to Nick.
Though I came from a generation where even weddings between different castes was shunned upon, I was not bought up with that mindset and my husband and I had a love marriage even at that time. My only real concern was if Priya would be welcomed into their family as much as we would welcome Nick. Sitting under the shade and sipping chai with me, Nick bought tears to my eyes when he opened up to me and promised to love and take care of my little girl forever. He explained how it might seem strange for a foreigner to enter their family and ask for acceptance but said that he had never felt the sort of connection that he feels with Priya. He went on to explain where each ceremony of their extensively planned intercultural wedding would happen at the property, which I finally came to understand was their wedding venue. I smiled to know that they had done their homework to please granny….
My mind flipped back to reality when the newlyweds came walking hand in hand to greet us. My heart skipped a beat when Nick bent down and touched our feet seeking our blessing. I knew my granddaughter to be the unconventional tradition defying girl that she was but considering all the ceremonies that took place over the past 4 days, I came around to see a different side of not just her but even Nick who now felt like he had been a part of the family all along.
There are so many times in life when you relate a place to an activity or an emotion. For me, drinking chai with this trio at The Tamarind Tree will always be an emotion that cannot be described easily. As I expressed my unhappiness towards not knowing when I will be able to see Priya and Nick again, she held my hand and promised to come back next year and make a tradition of our chai pe charcha.
