Shaheer Ahmed
Aik Chai ki piyali hou aur aik us ko pilanay wali hou. These are the words that we live by because let’s be honest – Chai is love. It is in our genes – the love for chai. And this love passes down to the generations. But how can we blame our ancestors when we know for a fact that it goes way back to the time of our forefathers. Yes, jab hum paida bhi nahien huay thay, India aur Pakistan aik thay – tab bhi chai isi tarhan pee jaati thi. Kyun kay Chai ka dusra naam hai sukoon. Magar kehtay hain kay na is dunya mein kuch bhi sasta nahien – sakoon tou bilkul hi nahien; aur shayad is hi wajah sei ye hua hai kay chai bhi mehngi hou gaye hai.
Yes – you read that right because recently, the Dhabas in Karachi have taken a hit with the surge in the prices of Patti. Woh kalay kalay danney jo jab ubaltay pani mein ghultay hain tou paida hoti hai aik naye kisam ki Khushbu. Aisa lagta hai kay zindagi mein bahaar agai hai. Aur woh jaisay jaisay pakti hai – jaisay jaisay rang aur zayada acha hota hai to dil mein aik Khushi ki lehar dornay lag jaati hai.
But really – this surge in prices has hurt a lot of people. A few testimonials from the local Dhabay walay in Karachi says:
On the other hand, Javed Bhatta, who migrated to the port city almost a decade ago and works at a local hair salon, says that workers like him who live alone rely on small tea houses like the Quetta Inamulllah Hotel to get breakfast. “We could not afford any other place except these small dhabas, where we could easily get a paratha and a cup of tea for as little as rupees 50, until a few years ago. Now even these places have become difficult for us to afford and our monthly breakfast expense has gone up by Rs300 in just a few months,” he said lamentingly.
Similarly, Rehan Ali, who works at a communication store says that he has to meet multiple clients every day, and most people tend to prefer meeting over tea. “Now this was an affordable outlet until a few years ago, but now tea houses have shot their prices up so much that we have switched to making our own tea for clients instead of ordering from the hotel,” expressed the shop owner.
Kahan jaye ab insaan? Kahan sei milay ga sakoon? The authorities must take a notice of this and try to do something about it to ensure that people can at least enjoy that perfect cup of tea in peace.
Doodh Ki Qeemat Aur Doodh Kou Fix Karo
