A tale of tresses

Sleepyheads….arise and awake! There is nothing like a cup of hot tea to get you going in the morning. And if you have the morning newspaper…aahaaaa…… taaza news and taaza tea. What better combination than this…..

With the newspaper in hand, I hurried to the cafeteria to indulge in my usual cuppa. I did not even have to open my mouth and lo, the vendor had a cup of tea ready. Familiarity, in this case, does save a lot of words :)!! Acknowledging his greeting with a smile, I made a bee-line for my favourite spot, where I could bask in the early morning sunlight and watch the gentle ripple of water in the pond nearby.

As I slowly sipped my tea (all good things have to be enjoyed at leisure), my glance fell on a Chinese lady sitting at a table in front of me. As with most of her countrywomen, she had dark and lustrous hair. With every swish of her hair, it bounced and fell like black silk. And indeed, I had never seen hair this black and silky!

Having finished, I was on my way back when I heard an accented voice call out behind me, “Excuse me, please”. I turned around and saw….. the Chinese lady. Perhaps she had caught me staring at her. Sheesh ! I could feel my face turning red as I searched in my cluttered mind for a suitable reply in response to the volley which was to follow.

To my immense surprise, she smiled shyly and gave a little bow. It was a while before I remembered my manners and responded with a “Hello”. Her next words struck me dumb, “I am sorry for the intrusion. But I could not help observing your hair. It’s so long and thick that I had to convey my compliments to you.” And to think that I liked HER tresses….. !!

Shaayad isileeye kehte hain - grass is always greener on the other side :) !