Growing Up Desi
The Orange Rasna That Was Always Too Diluted
Rang hamesha bright hota tha. Taste kabhi utna nahi. Phir bhi steel glass bhar ke peete the.
Rasna ka colour hamesha promise zyada karta tha.
Taste utna nahi.
Phir bhi garmi aate hi woh banta zaroor tha.
Bada sa jug nikalta. Steel ke glass side mein lag jaate. Ice kabhi hoti, kabhi sirf naam ki.
Packet ka powder paani mein jaata aur spoon kaafi der tak ghoomta rehta.
Neeche thoda jama rehta.
Upar colour theek aa jaata.
Bas wahi kaafi tha.
"Aur daalo thoda."
"Nahi, theek hai. Zyada meetha ho jayega."
"Taste halka hota tha, colour zyada. Phir bhi glass kabhi aadha nahi chhoda jaata tha."
Har ghar mein yeh discussion hota tha shayad.
Pehla glass hamesha thoda better hota.
Second tak paani aur add ho chuka hota.
Third tak orange bas colour mein reh jaata.
Phir bhi glass bhar ke milta.
Aur hum poora peete.
Kabhi ek sip leke turant bolte, "Aaj phir halka bana hai."
Phir doosra sip bhi le lete.
Kabhi spoon se neeche hilate, sochte taste wahan chhupa hoga.
Kabhi extra ice daal ke khush ho jaate.
Steel glass ke bahar paani ki boondein aa jaati thi.
Table pe chhota sa ring ban jaata.
Jug aadha khatam hota, koi phir paani aur daal deta.
Kisi ko farak bhi nahi padta tha.
Rasna perfect kabhi nahi tha.
Thoda zyada paani.
Thoda kam powder.
Thoda kam taste.
But summer mein fridge khol ke woh orange jug dikh jaata tha na,
bas utna kaafi tha.
