Indian Coffee House

“I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.......” wrote T.S. Eliot in “ The Love Song Of J . Alfred Prufrock ”. There are hundreds of reasons or interpretations given as to what was in the poet's mind when he wrote this line. However, I have never intended to burden my mind with this “intentional fallacy” but I must say that the line applies to me and may apply to thousands of coffee lovers all over. I had experienced the 'fragrance ' and aroma of the 'heady' brew while crossing by the Indian Coffee House on the Mall, Shimla for quite long before I actually tasted it. I was still in school , when a cousin of mine, some five years older to me offered to treat me to a cup of coffee . I readily accepted the offer and besides coffee, I simply loved the place and the ambiance. It cost hardly a rupee for both of us including TIP and all. .Later on when I grew old enough to visit a coffee house on my own, I took to it as fish to water savouring all available South Indian delicacies like Dosa, Idli , Vada, etc etc. Later , I happened to visit the Indian Coffee House(s)- run by the same chain of cooperatives at Chandigarh also , but ambiance of the place as I found in Shimla, was simply missing- may be being a Shimlaite, I am prejudiced a bit , or the fans hovering overhead there made all the difference .I have not visited the Coffee house on the Mall since long as visits to the Mall are a few and far between. However I make do with Nescafe and Bru types which I manage to fix up at home ! But the taste of the one served at the ICH still lingers as the coffee powder used is a class apart from the blended ones we get in the market and at the same time , it sits light on the pocket too.