A Sip of Friendship: How Three Friends Have Shared Tea — and Life — for 58 Years
The kettle whistles softly as steam rises from freshly brewed tea, filling the room with a familiar warmth. For most people, tea is a daily habit. For Dr G.K. Parashar, Vishnu Muchal and Prahlad Mehta, it has been the thread holding together a friendship that has lasted 58 years.
Three days every week — Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday — are reserved for tea. No matter how demanding life becomes, the trio makes time to sit together, sip tea and talk. What began as a simple routine in their younger days slowly turned into an unbreakable tradition.
— DR. G.K. PARASHAR
The three friends followed different paths in life, but remained deeply connected. Dr Parashar, an Ayurvedic doctor, currently offers free services at the police hospital and for personnel of the Border Security Force. Industrialist Vishnu Muchal has quietly helped arrange treatment for poor patients over the years, often without revealing his name. Prahlad Mehta, too, has remained involved in social service activities whenever needed.
Yet amid work, family responsibilities and changing times, their tea gatherings never stopped. On Thursday, 21 May, as the world observed International Tea Day, the friends once again gathered over steaming cups in Indore. The occasion felt especially meaningful for them.
The Indore-Boston Connection
For Dr Parashar, the love for Indian tea travelled far beyond the city...
That idea led to the formation of the Indian Tea Club in Boston...
International Tea Day is now celebrated by the club every year...
“There is comfort in meeting old friends like this,” said Mehta.
For the three friends in Indore, tea has become far more than a beverage...