Chai-time memories

Says Ramesh Bhatt,the owner of the canteen,“I set up shop here in 1990. When I came down from Rajasthan. Since I wasn’t very highly educated,I decided to open up my own chai stall where people could come without having any inhibitions. It started off as a simple place,with the tin roof in the background,and a little shack behind it. Gradually,we also roped in wooden benches,metal chairs,a couple of poles and tarpaulin to cover them with,so that students had their very own katta or tapri to hang out. All this minus the paan and the cigarettes,of course.”

The place is a modest structure located behind the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism. The soup and napery here is thin,the atmosphere a bit thick,and yet it is something that every student who has passed out from the portals of this institute identifies himself or herself with. Speaking about her own experiences,Ujjwala Barve,head of department,Mass Communication and Journalism,who was also a student says,“I have some extremely beautiful memories of Ramesh Bhai’s little shack. As a student,when I was studying I made sure to come down here for my daily cuppa every morning. Notes were exchanged,topics debated,fights fought and resolved everything was done here.”

After 19 years of a humble existence,the place is still bare-boned. Barring the cup of chai (which every student and teacher on campus swears by) the place offers lime juice,buttermilk,bread rolls,the very simple vada pav,and a small assortment of savory tarts. One of the students,Sujata Iyer,who is pursuing her masters in journalism says,“Ramesh Bhai,or Lalaji as we popularly address him,is always there to welcome us with a smile,and a cup of chai. No matter the mood,he is perennially there for us. It doesn’t have those please do not loiter around boards,nor does it have huffy waiters hovering around with a bill as soon as you are done. We can sit for hours,eat our own lunches and go without Ramesh Bhai even batting an eyelid. But that’s something that we don’t usually do.”

Seconding that opinion is Sushant Kulkarni,student,says,“This is one place where we can just be ourselves as students. Even ex-students come here as guest lecturers or teachers or just to interact with students. As a student,I guess that’s all one really wants from his college katta,isn’t it?”

Sanjay Tambat,a lecturer at the department of journalism says,“Ever since I remember,first as a student and now as a teacher,Ramesh Bhai and his chai has been the same. In fact,I have some really fond memories of bunking lectures and coming here for Ramesh Bhai’s iconic chai.

“Sometimes,when I see children discuss current news topics,I feel that in many ways,I have myself become qualified to be a journalist. May be I really should consider taking it up as a part time profession,” says Ramesh Bhai with a laugh. Are any newspapers listening?