Tea (Shop) @ Ooty

“Anal Mele Panithuli.. Alai Paayum Oru Kili..”, FM playing the song.

“What a song”, I hummed.

“Night drive and the song, Classic! Especially hills”, said Bunch.

“Waaaaa… What an idea”, Shiv and Aleak chorused.

My reflex winked at Bunch and there he yelled, “Ooty here we come!!”

“Ooty?”, Madhan shook his bone.

At 9’o clock when we gathered we dint know we will dine at Amutham daba. At 10’o clock when we were mourning for the chicken bones left over our plates we dint know we will go night drive. Three minutes past 10’o clock we are heading to Ooty. Yeah! This is how guys plan. I mean we don’t plan, we simply execute!

“Why Ooty? What for?”, a thin voice by Madhan.

“Dude.. Yesterday’s paper reads Ooty has its finest weather zero degrees”, Shiv throws a bone.

This guy has just come from Singapore the very morning and I wonder where in paper he read about Ooty, may be in Singapore daily pages! Lol.. I smiled at Bunch. But the wanting to go to Ooty made us seriously nod at his words.

“Yeah we will have nice tea at zero degree” I added.

“Tea at Zero degrees…. Nice!”, Madhan smirked.

“That is for what we are going after all. So shut the fu**k!” raised our “punch line Aleak” [To tell about this guy, he prefers listening over talking. But when the talk picks its climax definitely he will be the one who comes with a “punch line” to conclude itJ]

Madhan not having a choice he mocked, “Ooty here we come!!”

Having set a goal the fun begins by the time we drove off from the city limits. Empty roads, gentle breeze and of course light music another reason to fall in love! But we ain’t good in that zone so stepped into our comfort zone, gabbing.  Three subjects a guy can’t stop gabbing about, Girls, Work and Ambition. He cribs about his girl, if he doesn’t have one he extols about other(s) girl(s) but definitely gals. Next comes the work, he can never keep his mind off work or at least his manager. For the stress a manger gives one simply relieves it by putting slang on him whenever he feel like (mostly every time, poor you managers). Last but not least, ambition. There can be no human without an ambition (at least I am talking about guys) for sure he finds a suitable time to express it. And guys like me keep expressing it often because we never (try to) achieve itJ

Subject 1:

“C’mon guys I’m driving like a dork here.. Spice it up” Bunch poked.

“How about sharing our most memorable moment with a(ny) girl?” he added.

“And let’s start with bunch” concludes Mr. Punch line.

The mountain breeze picked in and hit Bunch’s face favouring him to kick off.

 An early twilight, I was just starring at the office window (thinking should I jump out of it or kill the manager). “Beep.. beep”, a message hit my inbox. It reads, “It’s pleasant out there. Shall we go out for a walk?” Lately I was trying to impress her and it seems it has worked! [Bunch, this guy is a go-getter. Right from college till now he has always managed to get a girl by his side. Be it spring, fall or summer he will have one. Now back to the scene] we took the stairs and reached out the building. It is a real bliss to walk with a girl late evening. It’s not the end as nature showered its love on us, yes it rained setting the mood and and…….. He stopped and blushed.

 “Awww.. Awww..” sounded the chorus guys and I was imagining rest of his play.

“Sankar.. Stop imagining and tell us yours” he nudged.

“Ummm.. Only after Shiv” I said.

She has had always longed for a long drive in my bike and that day I drove her to #censored…….# holding our hands #censored….# she grabbed my ice cream #censored…..#  and put it on my face #censored….# and tasted the #censored….# and so on. [Shiv is a guy who never hesitates or backs off in such situations because he always had dozens of stories to tell. To be precise he is the guy excited about this topic and eagerly waiting for his chance (such a flatter). And so all I can tell about his story is #censored#]

I turned back to Madhan and spoke in silence eye to eye, “What is it missing in us that this guy has got??”

“The guy from Kerala with omana kutties.. Wassup there?”, Aleak pulled me in.

I know there is a high expectation around and I dint want to disappoint them. Having heard a romantic story followed by a sizzling one that suited the nature of queen hills I badly wanted to entertain from my side too. So here I go.

A late evening she asked for a drop to her flats (Inspired by Bunch and Shiv stories I stirred a mix of late evening and bike ride). She placed her arms on my shoulders. I wasn’t sure is it for her grip or to lose my grip. With a pounding heart and sweating sideburn in her touch’s I stopped by her flats.  She got down, bid her thanks and waved at me. “Good Night”, I said and started my bike. She was around four steps away and the moment I started the bike she ran towards me. And to my storm she kissed on my cheeks! Frozen wind, paused birds and spike hair (shock laga laga havells style). By the time I realised she kissed me she had already moved into her living room. [For people who know me well they really knew I made it up and so do my friends. I am so faking and they fu**ing knew it still they pretend to be excited. Friends are cool to have, you give them sh**t still they go with you]

Not giving them a time to react on my story “Aleak you?”, I put forth.

“Hahah.. hahahahaa.. Aleak.. Haha ” #everybody laughs# [And I forgot to mention that Aleak is the only guy not behind girls in our gang. He neither takes them serious nor light; he simply ignores them and concentrates only on his punch lines]

#screech# Sound of breaks. Everyone swallowed a lump in their throat.

“What the heck…” guys from back seat screamed.

As I was seated front I saw something dark moving in front of the car.

“Is that the dark clouds passing by” I asked Bunch.

He was silent to the death and I can only hear the engine sound of the car. I peeped out of the window to catch the sight and I was dazed. There is a huge tusker in front of us along with its baby which is of our car’s height. That very moment many a things flashed in my eyes. Elephant attacks in Kerala temples, a movie scene where in super star developing bond with baby elephant. Out of the shock Bunch did not turn off the car which luckily helped us by keeping the mammoth off  and it slowly crossed the road following  her  kid [Elephants are scared of engine sounds and high beam lights. I was once informed by a safari guy]

A sigh of relief in all of us as Bunch pushed the gas to move as far away as possible.  Within few seconds past the terror, Madhan threw a worried look asking, “Guys.. Please have courtesy to at least ask me do I have a story to tell” which eventually made us break out in laughter and mended our panic.  It’s almost 12’o clock by now and we almost reached Ooty. We could feel the fresh air of queen hills and for a moment fell in love with nature’s beauty. But we doubted accomplishing our goal, the Tea! Apart from the weather nothing excites much, closed shops and sleepy homes. At last we planned to halt for sometime get out of the car and spend time in the streets of Ooty.

“Where are you guys from?” a rough voice scared us the very second we stepped out of the car.

We gasped finding him to be a patrol guy. Bunch explained that we are from Coimbatore and in here for a fun drive plus tea. The bare look of him tells us, “you rotten ****** don’t you have time to drink tea at Ooty”. 

“Where do you guys work?”, he enquired.

“IT sir”, Bunch replied.

“You guys simply sit in front of computers earning in lakhs and shed your money like this. But we stand out whole night on roads and we make nothing” he mumbled and started verifying the papers.

I don’t know how such speculation spreads over IT field. People think we get paid for just sitting in front of computers. But having heard this from many people like house owners, hotel guys, auto wallah’s and any other non-IT person we are kind of used to it. Also I dint want to argue on this.

“Sir is there any tea shop nearby?” I asked.

“Way down to Kothagiri you will find a tea shop opened” he answered.

“Thank you sir” I replied and Bunch started the car. 
Immediately he stopped us and asked, “Did you guys see a tusker on your way up?”

“Yes sir..” Bunch replied.

“Careful! Way down to Kothagiri you will see bison’s. They are more dangerous. It can topple your car with a hit. There have been many attacks recently recorded. Careful!” he warned and walked away.

Just we were out of the elephant incident and now terrified by bison attack! Madhan once again helped us in getting out of it. “How can he say that we enjoy in IT field”, Madhan cursed the patrol guy and picked in a lead to subject 2.

Subject 2: Stress Relief!

We all work in different companies, different platforms and follow different process. We don’t understand a bit of what one is talking about. But we all have one thing in common, “Managers!” Thought we don’t understand what kind of work one does in his office we simply like to hear the managers getting cursed.  It’s a kind of stress relief and I am sure you will feel a lot better. [Hope my manager doesn’t read this]. The stress relief course went on and on till Shiv managed to find the tea shop we were looking for.

The time is ten past 3’o clock and we are kind of tired of the monotonous drive. The tea shop doesn’t look like a typical tea shop. Instead it was like a home attached with a small petty area to lend tea and snacks. Bunch parked the car opposite to shop and got off the car. The lights were on. I can see the glasses placed in tray and the boiler smoking. It felt like seeing a light under the tunnel, one final step to attain the goal! We dint find the tea master in the shop and planned to knock the door.  Shiv knocked the door meanwhile Bunch and Aleak called, “Anna  ... Anna…”

There comes our savoir! He cleared his throat and asked, “How many?”

“Five strong chaya” we said and conveyed our sorry for disturbing him in such unusual time.

“Never mind dear.. I stay open and you guys come.. That’s it” he said and started preparing the tea.

Out of curiosity Bunch asked him is it really worth opening the shop late night.

“Where are you guys from?” he enquired.

“Coimbatore” Bunch replied.

“Until guys like you exist I can run business anytime. Coimbatore to Ooty for a tea” he laughed.

“Toppi.. thoppi.. #Insult#” we threw sarcasm at Bunch

“But in a way you are right” the guy stopped us. The question is not whether it is worth opening or not. It is whether life or money. He distributed us the tea and continued.

“Why would someone need money if he doesn’t have any life? Life is more important than anything. Once you die you can’t have a rebirth to enjoy the money you have.” he said.

We dint know what to reply and of course at this late night none of us wanted to discuss life and life after death.  We maintained silence sipping the tea. Shiv and Madhan silently giggled at bunch for starting this conversation. And I know for sure Aleak is ready with a punch line in his mind but it’s only the circumstances stopping him.

“Chuck it guys! It’s too dusky to discuss this with youngsters like you. I should rather ask about your girl friends” he grinned.

“Haha.. Better you could have continued with life subjects” I replied.

“Consider you guys lucky”, he smiled. Bunch had to react for this and questioned why.  Recently there were several deaths in this place. All of them are guys like you having fun at night. Some say they were attacked by bison and some say its soul of the dead in a killing spree, he paused.

“Gosh! I was just kidding to him” I thought.
Shiv and Madhan stopped giggling. Even now Aleak has a thing in his mind, Fear it is! Literally his words put us to shaky legs. We stood close to each other and were confused to leave or stay.

“In last three months there were 7 deaths. What if it had happened to you guys tonight” he put a question that urged us to scoot.

“Anna… Enough! This is more than enough for us. If you continue further then we not gonna drive back, ll stay at your home with you” Madhan shivered.

“Ahhh… Ok Ok I understand J  Anyways I have no problem.. There are already three guys sleeping in there deep, if you guys wish you will have to join them” said the master and pointed the door.

“It’s Ok.. nice of you. Anyways how much?” I asked.

“40 rupees” he said.

Bunch, handing over the money bid thanks and moved to car. All we wanted is to get rid of this creepy place and followed Bunch.

“Careful! Drive safe. Life is important” he said and waved at us as we got into the car.

“Oh my god!!” Bunch exclaimed starting the car.

“Life is important” I mocked.

“Avaru Nallavara? Kettavara? ” Shiv cracked.

Not knowing to watch for a bison or dead soul the thrill and fear remained in us. For the second time I heard the engine sound of the car.

“Break it guys” I said.

“Life is more important” this time by Aleak.

I was like “cut the sh**t… But yes he is correct in a way”. We seldom have concern on life. We should have some plan, I said. [I was in a mood to get into Subject 3]

Subject 3:

“What will we be doing after a year or so” I asked.

“Mmm.. We would have been married and servicing our wives at kitchen.. So stop bull sh**ting” Aleak laughed and rest joined. I understood that nobody is interested in getting into it. Not always a guy talks about his ambition [At least we are not talking for the night having said it comes only in apt time]. So no Subject 3 in this story.

We reached our homes around 20 minutes past 4’o clock in the morning. By that time only Bunch was awaken driving the car while we were, “Snore.. Snore..”

Next Day:

I hear some tone, may be alarm I thought. I keep hitting the snooze button but still I couldn't stop. Gradually the volume increases and hits me closer. It’s not alarm tone but my mom’s tone chewing me in her mouth, perhaps natures alarm for all lazy guys like me!

“It’s 11.30 in the morning still this dumbo is burring his face under pillows.. What life he has got? Cant he have breakfast at least?” it goes on and on.. She manages to wake me up with her alarm tone and gave the brush.

“Why do you roam at nights? Where did you go?”

“Common ma.. It’s just a tea and hangout with friends” I said.

“For tea? You could have brought your guys to home, I would have prepared better tea” she starred.

“But it won’t match having it in Ooty” I smiled.

“Ooty? God! Are you all right dear?  Why are you doing this to me son?” she sounded worried

“After all its just tea at Ooty ma.. Don’t worry” I comforted her.

“Todays news paper reads, in Ooty…”

“What? Ooty at its finest climate zero degrees? ” I stopped her. For a second I thought may be Shiv was true about zero degrees.

“Nonsense.. It reads there have been several deaths recently at nights” she wiped a tear.

“Yeah.. 7 dead in last three months.. Everyone knows that” I grumbled.

“But how do you know that? Three of them died just yesterday night” she was puzzled.

I ran to the newspaper and found it to be printed, “Midnight murders! Three more found to be dead this time inside a tea shop along with its owner. The incident is suspected to have been occurred around early morning within 2.30 to 3 AM. This incident sums up seven deaths in last three months. The mode and motive of the murders still remains mystery!” [The news paper shows photos of the dead in which the tea shop owner is a complete stranger]

I can’t ready anymore. Back in my head flickers the entire scene and words by spoken..

# In last three months there were 7 deaths #

# Anna… Enough! If you continue further then we not gonna drive back, ll stay at your home#

# There are already three guys sleeping in there deep, if you guys wish you will have to join them #

Legs turning numb, blood rushes to head. I sat down on the couch hearing my mom’s words,“Consider you guys lucky. What if it had happened to you guys?”