For decades, so-called Cola Wars—the legendary rivalry between two global beverage giants—have been the subject of heated debates, exhaustive case studies, numerous books, and documentaries. But my personal journey with cola predates all this hype, going back almost six decades to my childhood in Delhi.
In those days, soft drinks were marketed in 200 ml glass bottles and were considered a luxury in middle-class homes like mine, where, often, they were reserved for VIP guests, while the rest of us made do with fluorescent, sugary squashes or the ever-reliable nimbu-paani. Moreover, a bottle was rarely enjoyed in full, as glasses were filled with ice to stretch the serving.
It is against this background that my elder brother often recalls having bought a bottle for as little as 25 paisa in the late 1960s, whereas, for me, well, by the time I was old enough to indulge, the price had risen sharply to a princely rupee. It was during this phase that I developed a strong craving for colas- a taste no other drink has been able to match, neither then, nor now.
Sadly, this blissful ride came to a screeching halt in 1977, when a leading American brand was asked to leave the country. For diehard fans like me, the void thus created was painful, and we yearned for a suitable replacement. Mercifully, we did not have to wait for too long for this to happen, as, soon, a desi brand filled the gap. Helped along by government backing, and a lack of real competition, almost overnight, it rose to the number one spot- winning hearts across the country with its distinctive zing. Thereafter, for years, it reigned supreme, until the 1990s brought liberalization and the return of multinational giants. Hereon, gradually, the seemingly impregnable citadel of its dominance crumbled like a sandcastle, till, eventually, the beloved local cola disappeared altogether.
Its departure was mourned deeply.
But by then, so entrenched had its flavor become in collective memory that even long after production ceased, people of my generation continued to refer to all colas by its name. For many, it was not just a drink, but a symbol of simpler times gone by. Amid all this, consistently, rumors floated around that the iconic brand was making a comeback; only to fade into oblivion, even as nostalgia turned bittersweet, and waiting for its return seemed increasingly futile
Till, unexpectedly, the miracle happened.
One day, while shopping with my wife Sonia, I spotted rows of bottles neatly stacked on a supermarket shelf. For a moment, I stood frozen in time, before bursting into wild excitement, much to the amusement of everyone around. Sonia, with her usual calm, picked up a bottle and handed it to me. The first sip was nothing short of magic. Decades of yearning and heartburn dissolved in an instant, to be replaced by a wave of contentment. I gulped it down as though tomorrow would never come, savoring both, the taste and memories it carried with it.
The cola wars may still rage on in marketing boardrooms and academic discussions, but for me, the journey has always been personal—a story of absence and return, of nostalgia and fulfilment. Some beverages refresh; others reconnect you to your past. This one brought me home.
Musings of a Delhi Boy 