my trip

Last winter in Shimla, I had to go to Sanjauli to return a book to a friend. It was around 5:30 pm,already getting dark. I thought I'll be back in an hour, so I didn't take my heavy jacket. Just a hoodie. Big mistake. The HRTC bus was late as usual. By the time I reached Sanjauli, it was almost 6:15 and that cold wind had started. My friend wasn't home. His mother said "beta thodi der me aayega, chai pee lo." So I sat there, had chai, waited. He came at 7. Wetalked for like 10 minutes, I gave him the book and left. Now the real problem started. No buses.
The last bus to my side had already left at 7:10. I was checking my phone, battery was at 14%. I tried to book a Rapido, no one was accepting. So I started walking. From Sanjauli to Lakkar Bazaar is not far but in that cold, with just a hoodie, it felt endless. My ears were paining. Near the IGMC road, there was that small chai stall with the plastic sheets around it. Theuncle there knows me a bit. He saw me shivering and shouted "oye idhar aa." I sat there. He gave me a cutting chai without me asking. We didn't talk much. Just sat while two other uncles were talking about apple rates. I waited there for like 20 minutes, warmed up a bit, then my other friend who was coming from Kasumpti picked me up on his scooty. My hands were so cold I couldn't even hold the side handle properly. Nothing big happened that day. But I still remember that chai. It was too sweet, but at that moment it felt perfect