6 sharing PG : Chapter 3
Tea seller — “Bad times don’t last forever”
Ramesh couldn’t believe his eyes. Two companies wanted to meet him. He read the emails over and over. His roommate Suresh smiled and said, “Good luck!”
Monday morning came. Ramesh was very nervous. He borrowed a nice shirt from Suresh and got ready for his first interview. The big company office was in a tall glass building. But the interview went badly. They asked very hard questions. Ramesh didn’t know many answers. He walked out feeling sad.
He sat on a park bench, almost crying. An old tea seller saw him and gave him a cup of his special masala chai, steaming with fragrant cardamom and ginger. “Don’t worry, son,” the tea seller said, stirring wisdom into the tea. “Bad times don’t last forever, just like how this hot tea will warm your spirit.” The tea’s aroma and these kind words started lifting Ramesh’s spirits.
At 2 o’clock, Ramesh went to the startup company, Opple. This interview was different. The interviewer, Priya, was friendly. She asked about his family. Ramesh told her everything — about his father’s pension, his sisters at home, and why he came to Bangalore. For once, he didn’t feel scared.
“You’re not perfect” Priya said, “but you work hard. We like that. Would you like to join us as a junior developer?”
Ramesh’s heart jumped with joy. He had got a job. That evening, he bought sweets and his favorite chocolate cake for his roommates. He also got a special box of premium tea leaves for the wise tea seller who had comforted him. Then he called home.
“Papa,” he said, “I got a job.”
His father was quiet for a moment. Then he said softly, “I’m proud of you, son. I was hard on you because I was worried. But you did it.”
Six months passed. Many things changed. Ramesh learned his job well. He could now afford a better room. He made many friends. He even learned to speak a little Kannada. The city didn’t feel strange anymore.
Every day, he sent money home and treated himself to the best tea in Bangalore, trying different varieties at various stalls. His sisters were happy, especially when he sent them fun care packages with chocolate and cute stationery. His father stopped worrying. His mother’s voice was always full of joy when he called.
One evening, Ramesh was walking home from work. He saw the old tea seller again. Ramesh sat with him and had tea. He remembered his first days in Bangalore — how lost he had felt. Now everything was different. He had a good job. He had friends. He could help his family.
The tea seller looked at him and said, “See? You found your way.” He smiled warmly, brewing another cup of his special chai just the way Ramesh liked it.
Ramesh smiled. Yes, he had found his way. In this big city, he had found more than just a job. He had found a new life and a mentor in the wise tea seller who had become like family.
That night, Ramesh called his family. His sisters showed him their good marks in school. His father showed him the new TV Ramesh had bought them. His mother just kept smiling, proud of her son who had grown so much.
Ramesh looked out of his window at the city lights, sipping his evening tea from the special cup the tea seller had gifted him. Sometimes the hardest roads lead to the best places. His struggle had made him stronger. Bangalore was no longer a strange city. It was now his second home, filled with the aroma of friendship and success.
Looking back, Ramesh realized that like a perfect cup of tea, life needed the right blend of patience, warmth, and faith. He had learned to appreciate both the bitter and sweet moments, knowing they all contributed to his story. That night, sipping his evening tea, he smiled at how far he’d come from that nervous boy on the park bench.
