Sitting in the balcony, drinking in the view of the sky and beautifully patterned clouds was ultimate bliss but the sip of tea in this surrounding was the cherry on top, thought Adi.

The love for tea (or chai as they called at home) was in his genes. He was brought up in a joint family where guests would pop in and out all times of the day.

Since it was against the rules of hospitality in India, the guests would not be let go without having anything. The elderly matriarch would just say, chai piye bina to jaane nahin denge (We won’t let you go without having tea at least) and the guest would have to relent. The house was seeped in the aroma of tea with a slight hint of the spicy ginger.

Adi didn’t want to lose that aroma ever. This is how it had started. He was startled with the ringing doorbell. He smiled. It was time for another batch.

He got this idea when he read that since ancient times, tea leaves had been used in burial services by royalty and common people alike. People from ancient times believed that tea leaves served to cleanse and dehumidify the deceased. Tea leaves helped absorb odors in the tombs and ensured the preservation of the remains. Now, a room full of guests were forever embalmed in tea. The aroma of tea would not leave his house ever.