Chapter 1: The Heat of Candied Ginger

This is a short romance series that explore the love in the backdrop of Dublin. A chance encounter in a tea shop leads to the beginning of a new story between two beautiful people.

Namrata watched as the rain washed the windowpanes of her tea shop. It was her quaint, cozy nook nestled in a street corner in Dublin. Once a book shop filled with wall-to-wall wooden shelves of old books and musty furniture, it now held a myriad of labelled spice jars with different types of tea and tea sets from around the world. You wouldn't expect anything less from a tea connoisseur.

Her dream was to transport people to an exotic land of tea and spices when they walked through her door. So, she filled the interior with comfy couches, arm chairs and antique looking tables and chairs. Vibrant scarves ran like banners under the ceiling that held antique light fixtures that cast warm yellow lights that generated a warm ambience. Altogether, an intimate setting for customers who desired the finest cup of tea.

Generally, the shop drew a steady flow of new and returning customers, but it was a slow afternoon. One would think it was night already because of the dark storm clouds that covered the sky. She looked over at her cat, “Meen,” a skittish ginger who sat at her customary spot by the shop window. It was her favorite pastime to people watch, but at the moment, she was being entertained by the leaves that were dancing around in tiny circles with the help of the wind.

Namrata sighed and decided that it was time for her afternoon cup of tea. Once the water began to boil, she added some loose Darjeeling tea leaves that were specially sourced from India. As she watched, the leaves diffused their familiar brown magic into the water.

The doorbell chimed, and she turned around to see who had entered. A pair of blue-green eyes met hers. Faster than the speed of light, a wave of electricity travelled from her brain, through her spine, to the tips of her fingers.

Standing before her was a seriously good-looking man. He was the intersection of all her weaknesses. A lightly stubbled, sculpted jaw with lips in a slight, sensuous pout. Wide shoulders. Intense eyes. A book in his hand. He looked at her quizzically and in the deepest of vibrations asked her if she was open.

Namrata immediately felt awkward and stupid in front of this beautiful apparition. She gathered her wits about her, smiled, and said, "Yes, I am". As the words left her mouth, the heat rushed to her face as she continued to mumble, "the shop is open...I mean". Thankfully, the handsome stranger didn't seem to notice and was preoccupied with brushing off large droplets of rain from his dark grey overcoat. She quickly composed herself and directed his attention towards the coat rack and the umbrella stand situated next to the door. He took her up on her offer, placed his umbrella in the stand, and carefully placed his coat on a hook.

At this point, she remembered the tea that she had forgotten on the stove. "Please make yourself comfortable, and I will be with you shortly", she said as she got busy retrieving the milk from the fridge. She was deeply engrossed in her task that she didn't notice the man silently observing her from the counter. As she was pouring some milk into a small container, she heard a gentle voice saying, "What are you doing?". She twitched a little, and she responded, "I am making chai". She hoped she sounded composed and not like a jittery mouse high on sugar. She fixed her gaze downward, for fear of the effect of his eyes and his proximity to her.

"Oh, and what is that? I believe that I have never had chai before", he said. Namrata was a bit confused at this point. Did the man not know that he had walked into a tea shop? There was a huge sign that clearly said "Queen of Teas" at the entrance. She thought to herself, perhaps this was his first experience with tea. She explained that it was a milk tea and continued to explain the origin of the tea leaves and how it was generally made while she continued to strain the tea. He quietly listened.

After a short pause, he said, "It seems nice, and if it's okay with you, I will have a cup of whatever you are having?". She beamed up at him and said, "Of course". He took that as a sign to get settled on one of the couches and began to watch the rain outside the window. Namrata started on another batch of tea. After she was done, she strained the hot tea into an elegant brass teapot with a matching teacup and saucer. After she had added the tea set and a few small plates of snacks to the tray, she walked over to the couch. She noticed the skittish Meen was also making her way towards the couch.

Namrata thought to herself, "No way that this avoidant cat was approaching this stranger". Meen jumped up on the couch and confidently made her way to the stranger's lap and plopped herself down. Namrata was mortified. The stranger didn't seem to mind. He absentmindedly began to stroke Meen's head as though he had done that many times before. Namrata carefully placed the tray on the table and said, "Your tea is ready....I am sorry about my cat, I can take her off your hands".

The man looked over and quickly said, "Oh! Not at all! It's an honor that she has chosen me as her seat". They both laughed. Namrata added, "Her name is Meen". "I hope Meen is not very mean to me", he said while he looked at Meen, who decided to take a nap on his lap. At this moment, he looked up at Namrata, and once again, she felt an intense pull as he looked into her eyes.

He swiftly glanced downwards towards the tray and seemed to take everything in. As she was about to return to the counter, he quickly asked her, "If you are having tea as well, would you like to join me? I would appreciate the company".

Namrata found herself open to the idea. She got herself some tea in a cup and sat on the couch facing him. As she got comfortable in her seat, the man poured himself some tea, added some milk, and a bit of sugar to his cup from the tray. He had a calming aura similar to a therapist, and all of his actions weren't in a hurry. He took his time till he was satisfied. "My name is Oliver", he said with a slight smile. "Namrata, it's a pleasure to meet you", she responded.

Oliver nodded his head and took a sip from his cup. "Hmm...this is comforting and just what I needed", he said. Namrata smiled because she loved it when someone enjoyed the tea. They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, enjoying sips of their tea and listening to the rain outside. She looked down at the tray and remembered the snacks she had placed on small saucers. She said, "These snacks are great with the tea, especially when you dip the biscuits into the tea".

Oliver glanced at the plate and reached for a biscuit without disturbing the slumbering Meen on his lap. He dipped a corner of the square biscuit into his cup and took a bite. He closed his eyes for a moment. "Whoa! It goes well together. What are they?" he said as his eyes sparkled. "These are pistachio and rose cookies", she said. Oliver's eyes flickered to the tray and he was surveying the other snacks with curiosity. Namrata spoke as though reading his mind and motioned to the tray, "These are candied ginger".

He picked up a piece of the candied ginger and took a bite from it. She watched as he silently chewed and savored it. Once he finished, he took a sip from his cup. "It's interesting", he said. Namrata asked, "Is it a good or a bad kind of interesting?". He responded, "Hmm...it's good because it feels as though there is a fire that has been lit in my body. It makes me feel warm, Sweet and spicy at the same time. Nice on a cold, wet day like this one".

His face had turned slightly red, and a sheen of moisture had appeared on his face. Namrata smiled and said," Ginger increases the blood flow in your body and makes you feel hot". Oliver grinned. Namrata followed quickly by saying, "I mean....not that kind of hot...you know the kind of heat inside you. Oh gosh! I think I am going to stop talking now". He chuckled and gave her a mischievous wink and said, "It's okay. I understand the type of heat that you are talking about". They both laughed.

Namrata felt as though the ice had broken with the heat from the candied ginger. The conversation began to flow, and she lost track of time. She talked about her passion for tea and stories of her travels through India and the Middle East. He shared his passion for the great outdoors and his passion to go on hikes in every country someday. They spoke for hours, listened, laughed, and sipped on their cups of tea. It was Meen who interrupted with a loud meow because it was time for her to close up shop. Oliver smiled and said, "It's getting late isn't it?".

Namrata nodded and smiled. They both got up, and Oliver reached into his pocket to retrieve his wallet. Namrata quickly said that it was on the house. He fought her for a bit, saying that it was only proper that he pay. They settled that it would be Oliver's treat the next time. They both shook on it. Namrata's heart skipped a beat as she felt his warm hand in hers. She only hoped that she wasn't blushing.

As Oliver retrieved his coat and umbrella, he said, "I hope you will introduce me to more tea and snacks on my next visit". She responded cheerily, "You can most definitely count on it". He looked into her eyes for a little longer as though he wanted to say something more, and finally said, "I will take you up on that". He gave a little smile and was out the door. Namrata stood still for a few moments as she felt her heart racing in her chest. She wondered when she would be seeing Oliver next, but she hoped that it was very soon.

Tune in for what happens next!