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Chapter1 - Part 4
The waiter, Raghu – Noticed his name on the clip-on he is sporting on his shirt, finally gets me my masala chai. He places it with nonchalance on my table, causing the cup to wobble in the saucer that holds it. Surprisingly, the cup manages to contain the chai with a minimal spillover on to the sides, like one of those acrobatic women I remember from the blue film I watched way back in '97. I distinctly remember that experience. I had to pay the internet-wala 80 rupees to watch the film for about 45 minutes.
Everybody remembers their first, real or virtual. Anyway I never watched another blue film after that because I consider it to be evil. Enough on the despicable thought, I will block it out. Damn! Will I always regret these acts of mine from the past? In business or life, one needs to be focussed on the future. No time should be wasted on sunk costs and lived life (read life gone by).
As for the nonchalance displayed by Raghu, I do not get the poor of this country. One cannot find even an iota of dignity of labour in them. Is it the lack of education or the absence of standards of service in this country? No wonder they seem to get no tips in our country. I do not get the cause and effect relationship here though, Is it the lack of service that leads to the lack of tips or the lack of tips that leads to the lack of service. Question of the chicken and the egg. Pointless attempting to think about it I suppose. I had long realized to get ahead in life one has to accept things as given and then work out a solution. One of my employees, an educated one, calls this the Black Box approach when he is making sales to clients.
Disappointed, I clean the edges of my cup with the tissues that are placed on my table and get a sip of my chai. Eeeww.. Its been served without sugar. The girl, who earlier demonstrated a great vocabulary in abuses, is staring at me probably because I put on a face. Anyway I decide to raise the sugar issue with Raghu. I almost start calling out, when realization dawns upon me. Maybe the chai is supposed to be consumed without the sugar. After all its masala chai, not cheeni (read sugar) chai right? Maybe this is the videshi version of the Indian chai made for the videshi.
I gulp down half of my chai with great difficulty, since I am not used to having it without sugar. I am reminded of my regular choice – Chai at the thela for 4 bucks and I wonder why I am subjecting myself to this place and experience. But then I am dont give up easy. I am a fighter to the core, I remember the time I hated alcohol, but now I routinely consume alcohol for socializing purposes with other dhanda-wale. So I decide to just finish off my chai. So I put on my poker face and lift the chai cup to gulp it down, I notice my neighbour tearing apart a packet and dropping its contents in to his chai. I wonder if its sugar. So I place my cup back on the table, and pick the sachet on my table to read 'Zero Cal SUGAR' written on it.
Convinced of my naivety I add some sugar to my chai and consume the remaining chai. The chai felt more normal this time around, though not at the right temperature any more. I do not try to figure out how Zero cal sugar is different from regular sugar,that is work for my assistant once I get back to my office.
...Paisa kama liya but class nahi.......
to be continued...
