An Ode To A Starbucks

The touch of the teakwood table was cool and premium, and it used to be tilted towards the entrance and not facing the walls like it is today. There was lesser of the furniture and more of the welcoming empty-ness, allowing for deep introspection without bumping into the thoughts from an adjacent table. The staff-partners as they call them-was less yet much more. The melody of their country music or the blues was still mesmerising. Starbucks at N-Block Connaught Place used to a place I could be at peace with myself, sipping hot frothy Caramel Macchiato, listening to the calming music, and watching the world pass by out the window, as I thought my life through.

Tilted Teakwood Tables

Starbucks used to be an over-hyped, over-priced concept for me. I had been visiting Connaught Place very often but had never tried to visit the store at A block. And then one afternoon, while walking through the outer circle, I saw a new Starbucks logo at the N-Block. I used to be a frequent visitor to the Cafe Coffee Day a few shops ahead, and also to the Apple store at this block. For a week it was under construction, and then one fine day, I saw that the Starbucks at N-16, Connaught Place had opened its doors for customers. Though I had never been a fan, I felt attracted to an unusually peaceful Starbucks store and went right in.

The moment I entered, I experienced the difference. The wind curtain felt perfectly powerful and the air conditioning was perfectly cool. As the lady in her bob cut hair welcomed me, I realised I was one of the 3 customers inside. The ceiling was high, the sales counter and the immaculate displays were to my left, the casual teakwood seating to my right, tilted slightly so as to face to door, and the stairs to the first floor were down far right. Having no idea what their specialty was, I asked the lady to recommend me something. "Caramel Macchiato" she had said, a coffee that has since been not just a coffee but a roller coaster of emotions for me. I have tried more than half a dozen options, but only "Caramel Macchiato" has stood the test of time. As per Starbucks, Caramel Macchiato is freshly steamed milk with vanilla flavoured syrup, marked with espresso and finished with caramel sauce.

On Christmas. The entrance with the perfect wind curtain

I have since had many fulfilling visits to the store. I always preferred a seat on the ground floor, one with the good view of the outside world. I loved how they tilted their tables then, helping us focus better on the world passing us by outside. At the store, I have spent many afternoons all alone, yet not with a speck of regret, only with the sense of peace and calm. There have been many other afternoons, mornings, and evening I spent here with my dates. All of those guys equally interesting and intriguing; some moved on, while others have stayed on for long, while still others have made their special mark.

Some of my fondest memories had the setting of this Starbucks, yet change was the indeed going to be the only constant. As the months passed by, more and more people got to know of the place. The store got some extra furniture and got rid of the its signature tilt. The tables were placed closed to each other now and the welcoming empty-ness was receding by the day. The noise of the crowd had taken over the music and the long queues at the counter had taken away the barista's charm. I had such a deep emotional connect with the store, having seen it from the days it was under construction. I had personally known and interacted with the many baristas and had spent countless moments of love and togetherness, and also of perfect loneliness and introspection. Yet the store felt less emotional, and less wonderful now.

Starbucks, N-Block, Connaught Place

It is difficult to even find a seat there these days. There are tens of loud, fake and boisterous souls inside just as the soul of the store seems to have sold itself to the growing footfalls and profits. There are countless times when I  go to this store, once 'my' store, and find no place to sit. The store seems to have lost its personal touch. Often, I see myself regretfully visiting the Cafe Coffee Day a few stores ahead in the block. I see myself skipping my coffee more and more. I wish there was some way to have my old store back. I wish there was some way the maddening crowds and soaring profits could one day accommodate the lovely Starbucks this place once was.

P.S : 'Haider' is one of the Baristas here from the good old times. He still tries to be cheerful as ever and knows me  by name. The lady with the bob cut is somehow not seen at the store anymore.

© Quasars Are Forever