The out of the way tea stall

The terrorists had managed to put everything on hold today. Mumbai… the largest city in the world, the financial capital of the largest democracy in the world, held by the balls by a bunch of dim-witted fanatics. Fuck the MNS, I have no problem with them, there will always be terrorists around, but what I have a problem with is the city taking it. Everyone shutting shop and sitting at home and let the handful of troublemakers bring everything to a standstill. The tea shop I take a cup of tea from in the morning was closed. The tea shop I take a cup of tea from before traveling to office was closed. The old bald man who everyone in the office has an account with, and who slyly slips in an additional ten to twenty bucks didn’t show up with his cup of tea. I had to resort to the vending machine in the office, which ran out of tea by mid-afternoon. The vending machine uses horrible powdered milk anyway, so the tea was rotten. There was a cigarette crisis because none of the tapris were open. By evening I was in a terrible state, totally deprived of tea, and my hopes were up because a few people had found their balls and had opened their shops. But not the tea fellow who I take tea from before catching the bus home.
I really wanted tea, so I entered the Gaon Devi maidan nearby, into the big vegetable market. I found a guy who sold sugarcane juice, a vendor for old comics and magazines, a sweetshop and a small boy who was selling lanterns for Diwali, but no tea. I walked around a bit, and asked an old geezer with those soda-glass spectacles if there was a tea stall around. He told me of the one I frequent. I told him it was closed. He told me of another near the temple. So I walked around the market, found it, and discovered a great place for my evening cup of tea. I asked a guy there settling a hundred rupee account if I could get some tea. Of course I could he said, definitely. Courteous fellow, friendly place. Nice quiet atmosphere, with a bunch of playful beggar children running around, an old dog that sleeps on an empty cart put in the side, and a lady who has the balls to keep her shop open during tough times. And by the way, excellent tea. I just found a new place to frequent.