The Barber of Gurgaon

Sarju, looked like a simple and mild-mannered man. Checked shirt smartly tucked in. A sense of urgency to get things done and be off. He had an over packed bag, much like an office bag, only one that it had a whole barber shop waiting to burst out and set itself up. Sarju was my dear friend's hairstylist and groomer designate.

Kartik really needed a hair cut and he was about to have one in style ; in the comfort of his living room by a mobile professional who was just a mobile call away.

The Indian's were on their way to a win in the India Pak Hutch cup at Multan. The crowds were ecstatic and so was Sarju, who got to see the match while at work.

I watched as Sarju, quickly set up a makeshift 'workstation' of sorts. Carefully laying down newspaper in a fixed square area so that the mess could be disposed of as quickly as possible. He rushed in an out of carry a warm tub for 'Saheb' to soak in his feet for his pedicure. He then pulled out a fresh white cotton wrap neatly folded and waiting to be unfurled in a ritual display of pre-snip preparation.

Off he went snipping away to shape Kartik's mane back into civilised norms. I must say he did a fantastic job and proved to me that the mirror in the barber shop is a total sham. Sarju never needed one, and what does the victim do once the carnage has started.

Kartik enjoyed every bit of his Sunday indulgence and I couldn't help reminiscing those scenes of big time landlords (usually the villian) getting a shave and massage while their peered out into their estate. Even better , Naseeruddin Shah in Mirch Masala with his gramaphone playing in the foreground.

Sarju, the barber of Gurgaon. Hair-cutting by invitation only.

Five Point Nostalgia

Hey, two days of life without nicotine- Smokeless Living

Just put down 'five point someone' by Chetan Bhagat on Sunday. Suprisingly the book was released in 2004 , guess he took the slo-burn route to popularity. Now, I am not a voracious reader, the type that devours everything that hits the bookstands and some. Not the type who can go on for hours of how amazing and heady the smell and sensations of flicking through a fresh-off-the print book can be. I like books. Ever since I was a kid I'd love to spend OVERtime at the Family Bookshop in Bahrain. In some corner of my juvenile mindspace I would think that I owned the place and all these books were MINE MINE MINE.

Anyways, back to Chetan and his semi-autobiographical five point something. I think its great for a first book. I am not literary critic, but I think it was an easy read . Anyone who's lived in a hostel before must read this one. The book gets a big empathy vote from me. It's the type that makes you grin and say " Hey I did stuff like this once" , quickly followed by " Ah! those were wild days "

I didn't get out of IIT , but I guess this book will strike a chord with anyone who went to college, period.

Go get it!

No Smoking Today

Wonder why people smoke. Considering that I have been doing it since I was 17, I still don't have the answer. What beats me is that after having successfully kicked the habit for over 11 months, it still manages to sneak back into my life. Starting first as a harmless companion to whisky/ friends and sensless banter. Then closing in on coffee breaks, then as an after-dinner after-lunch 'must have'. Finally a 'can't live without' stress buster, even when the stress is not really There.

I guess its much like the smoke itself, easily finding its way into the voids of our minds and our lives. A false sense of completeness - of filling up the gaps , when there's really nothing there.

Well. like I didn't know it, it doesn't help when you are asthmatic and you STILL smoke. Its bound to hit you somewhere, especially when you are in cold cold Delhi. I was in bed all day, popping pills, trying out everything from soups to homeopathy. Its aweful to be cooped up and all alone in a guest house, coughing at the dull walls, half expecting them to offer a few sympathetic words.

The good news is that I have quit. Lets see how long it lasts. Will keep you posted.