'A lot can happen over a cup of coffee.' - We all know the tagline of the famous café chain. And indeed, it does. How many times have you had a bad day and met up a friend at a café to unburden yourself? How many times have you met your friends and conspired over a cup of coffee? And what about all those first and corresponding dates that you had at a café? Author Reeti Kalia brings a collection of short stories that revolve around the people who are inexplicably connected to a café and its owner.
Olive Beans is a café owned by Maya, an army wife, who has something delectable to offer to each of her patrons. Aside from the mouth-watering dishes that she offers on the menu, she is also a constant presence in the café for anyone who needs a listening ear or an understanding heart. Her own story is an inspiring one as she juggles her roles of an entrepreneur and an army wife - each lending something to the other. Each of the stories in the collection brings in a new idea about love in all its forms. Whether it is about a love lost or a love found or an odd triangle of a situation, the stories are designed to pull at your heartstrings. While the author has crafted each character with deliberate care in order to deliver the sense of a feeling in their own story, and they all deliver, I cannot help but love Maya the most.
Simple narration helped set me at ease as I delved into each story. The stories and the characters themselves are so ordinary that they are all relatable making it easy to feel connected to the journeys of the characters. If I had to name one, I would say that Burberry is my favourite story of the lot. The mention of delicacies and the recipes provided in the book does make you want to reach out for your Swiggy app or head to the kitchen with your baker's cap on. But more often than not, I was left yearning for more.
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