And Swami Worries About Everything

Swami had been fidgeting with his phone for the last ten minutes, his face tightening with every swipe. Jigneshbhai, on the other hand, sat back comfortably in his chair, sipping his coffee as if he were in no hurry at all.

“The markets are going to tank, Jigneshbhai!” Swami finally blurted out, his voice loud enough to make the waiter glance over.

“My portfolio is soon going to be redder than this tablecloth!”

Jigneshbhai raised an eyebrow, smiled faintly, and took another slow sip of coffee.

“Hmm,” he said.

Swami leaned forward, exasperated.

“Hmm? That’s it? All you have to say is hmm?”

Jigneshbhai’s calm expression didn’t change.

“Swami,” he said, “markets sometimes go up, markets sometimes go down. Coffee prices? Always up. So, focus on the coffee.”

For a moment, Swami just stared.

A Conversation Over Coffee

This wasn’t the first time Jigneshbhai and Swami had sat at this very table. I had seen them have these conversations for many years.

Last month, Swami was worried about his health insurance premiums. Before that, it was his neighbour’s barking dog. And before that, it was the existential question of whether his WhatsApp messages were being ignored on purpose.

The topics changed, but Swami’s restlessness remained the same. Jigneshbhai’s calmness remained the same. He never seemed fazed. He had a way of distilling complex problems into simple truths — truths that were usually delivered between quiet sips of coffee. And I remained the same silent observer, privileged to listen and learn from their talks, chiming in at times.

Even today, Swami couldn’t stop himself from ranting. Today it was about every dip, crash, and ominous headline he had seen that morning.

“You don’t get it, Jigneshbhai! This isn’t just numbers on a screen. This is about my future, our collective future!” Swami said, waving his hands dramatically.

Jigneshbhai nodded slowly, as though he were listening to a bedtime story.

“Swami, your future is not on a screen,” he said. “It’s in your cup.”

Swami blinked. “My… cup?”

“Yes,” Jigneshbhai said, pointing at Swami’s coffee. “Worry about numbers you can’t control… or enjoy the coffee that’s in front of you.”

Calm in a Cup

I remained silent and waited for Swami to calm down. He always did, most times after some sense prevailed after Jigneshbhai’s sane advice. But it always needed some time.

As Swami drained the last drop of his coffee, he felt a little lighter. I checked that the markets were still down. His portfolio must have been red. But his mood was lighter.

Maybe it was the caffeine.

Maybe it was Jigneshbhai’s perspective.

Or maybe it was both.

And so, when he finished his coffee, Swami sighed, half in frustration, half in amusement.

“Fine. But next time you’re paying for coffee, Jigneshbhai,” he said.

The three of us broke into a loud guffaw. And I noticed the wealthy old man in the sprawling bungalow stealing a smiling glance too from the adjoining table.

Your Turn to Sip

If you’ve ever worried like Swami — or smiled like Jigneshbhai — you’ll enjoy their many misadventures over coffee and conversation.

Grab the complete Jigneshbhai & Swami eBook set and spend some time laughing, reflecting, and sipping along.

[Get it here → at my estore]

 

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