‘2/3 coffee kodi, swalpa stronger irali’, starts a typical day at the college canteen. From cricket to hot bodies to politics to chemistry notes, all happens over those 2 cups of coffee shared between 3 people, probably ordered over 3 times, same quantity each time.We had no malls to go to, nor enough pocket money to shop or go to watch movies. Fancy restaurants were out of reach rather restricted to dating couples, sipping a single bottle Thumbs-up for hours, overwhelming each other and praying for time to standstill.
Hangout places for the young & fearless were mostly college canteen, the place where we brewed our careers, shared those wildest dreams, fantasies and wrote friendship quotes on our jeans. Every thing for us could happen over a cup of coffee, including solution to Kashmir issue. 2/3 was just not coffee, it was joy of sharing with few more friends, and making each other feel we are all equal.
Times have changed, one now get a mug of coffee with hearts drawn :) but what has not changed is, when the 3rd friends joins, asking waiter to make it '2/3' has not. Thus stay’s 2/3 coffee culture, other than a Bangalorean no one really knows that coffee was just an excuse to be with friends.