The Chaiwala’s Secret Recipe

Every Mumbaikar has a favorite chaiwala, and mine is Ramesh, whose stall sits at the corner of a busy street in Matunga. His chai is legendary—strong, sweet, and spiced just right. But no one knows his secret recipe, and that’s the way he likes it.

One evening, curiosity got the better of me. I asked Ramesh, “Bhai, what’s your secret?” He just smiled, his eyes twinkling above his mustache. “If I tell you, you’ll stop coming,” he said.

Determined, I decided to watch him at work. I arrived early the next morning, notebook in hand, and took a seat nearby. Ramesh went about his routine, humming a tune, tossing in tea leaves, sugar, ginger, and something from a mysterious tin. I scribbled furiously, but every time I thought I had it figured out, he’d add a pinch of something unseen.

A regular customer, Mrs. D’Souza, joined me. “Trying to crack the code?” she laughed. “I’ve been at it for years. Give up, beta.”

But I persisted. I tried making chai at home, experimenting with every spice in my kitchen. Nothing came close. Finally, I confronted Ramesh. “I give up! What’s the secret?”

He leaned in and whispered, “It’s not the ingredients. It’s the stories. Every cup is brewed with a new story I hear each day.”

I laughed, realizing he was right. The real magic was in the conversations, the laughter, and the warmth that filled his tiny stall. I sipped my chai, savoring the taste of Mumbai—one secret recipe at a time.