As I mentioned in W-Fillet #54: The Joy of X, I realised something the other day about coffee bars.
Of the three coffee bar chains in Delhi- Barista, Cafe Coffee Day, and Qwiky’s- all my coffee bar memories seem to be centered around Barista. I’ve been to Cafe Coffee Day and Qwiky’s, but never on a momentous or significant occasion. For those, it’s always been Barista.
Some of the most important times I’ve been in a Barista?
- The Basant Lok one, after Founder’s Day 2000. With Ishaan and Rishi and Madhav and kMac and the Big E, feeling as if I’d been run over by a rusty road roller. Drowning my sorrows in chocolate excess.
- Just before second year started, saying my goodbyes to Mansha at the IIT Gate one. Then, three days later, going there again with my folks and seeing that the dog Nidhi had made out of orange Post-It notes was still up there.
- Meeting Anahat after almost two years at Basant Lok on the day of Fete 2001. And yeah, Pooja and Aruna were there too- only two of the three musketeers, with Dolan away in Iowa. And yes, that was the night Vik came up with ‘Tabhi toh yeh itna patla hai’. I remember now feeling strangely melancholy about the effort everybody there was making to talk to everyone else.
- The summer after that had a much happier Barista outing. Me, Baldy, Tusi, Machhi, and Chutney landed up at the IIT Gate one and I kicked arse in Pictionary. What was much more fun was running into Mriduben and Adi out there.
- Last winter, trying the new flavours with Shiven and Manasvini at the really tiny one in Ansal Plaza, discovering how delightful the Latte Bianco is, and discussing the projects I would be taking up the next semester.
There’ve been no Barista moments in these vacations. Soon, though.
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