Saturday - 1900 hours in my parking lot at Chembur. I get down from my car and on the spur of the moment decide to get my hair trimmed.
I walk over to the main road and proceed to the barber's shop, smsing away on my cell phone. Its dark and there are no street lights, only neon reflections from the boards of the different stores lining the road.
I reach the place,
A1 Hair Cutting Saloon it says and I walk in and suddenly it hits me.
I am feeling fresh as soon as I walk in. There is a whiff of air that seems so nice to breathe. To my right I can see a whole mirrored wall. I stop and stare at myself. All the seats are occupied and I am asked to wait for 5 minutes.
As I sit down I notice the soft sofa type arrangement for the waiting people is so similar to the ones that we see on the local trains in Mumbai. Similar blue shade and stitched up in rexin. I sit and my eyes wander to the heap of magazines lying there. And I realise that a barber's shop is one place where you will get all the latest film and televison magazines like Filmfare, Cine Blitz et all. I mean these guys get it as soon as it hits the stands. Maybe it is because in the good old days people used to come and check out the magazines for the hair styles of film stars and get themselves a similar hair cut. That tradition continues.
I then look around. A wall on which there is a mirror running across the length, in front of which there are 5 chairs, no wait they are not chairs.
Recliners would be an apt word. All occupied with different people, different in looks, different in religion and different in the treatment they are getting. One uncle is getting his hair dyed while another 30 year old guy is getting his goatee perfect. And one young fellow has come for a shave. I watch in fascination.
The uncle getting his hair dyed is asked to wait for the dye to dry and I am asked to step up and take the chair. I get up and drop myself into the chair. Ooh baby its damn comfortable. I sink into it and put my feet on the support that's in front of the chair. I am loving it. The chair has a wheel (like the ones you find on ships) to recline it, on the right side. And it almost reclines to 180 degrees. I relax (no the chair was not reclined 180 degrees) soaking in the atmosphere.
And it was bright. I look up and see 6 tube lights and that full length mirror enhanced that bright feeling. I look at the table in front of me and find it filled with assorted knick knacks. 3-4 different types of combs, a ustra (razor) kept in glass that is filled with a solution of dettol & water, a hard brush that's used to clean hair of your clothes and head, a box full of blades, a flower pot shaped brush that applies shaving cream to your face, a Nivea cold cream box that been filled with powder and the duster that applies the powder on top of it, assortment of different shaving creams (even foams) and after shave lotions (thats where the different fresh air I guess).... " Sahab kya karna hai?" I am shaken out of my fascinated glaze. I explain that I need to trim my hair and tell him how it is to be done.
Out comes a big apron that is tied around my neck and immediately I feel like a baby who is going to be fed with cerelac. While he is doing that I get a chance to observe him in the mirror. A young guy of about 25 with a hair style that faintly reminded me of a certain Amitabh Bachchan. But then any young guy coming from UP to work here has a AB hangover i guess
Then he suggests a few things and we start discussing on how to go about it. Once we arrive to a conclusion, he picks up a pair of scissors and a comb and then looks at my hair. Keeps the scissor back on the table and picks up the most important and most used accessory in the shop - a water sprayer.
He sprays cold water on my hair and combs it to one side. I ask him to spray some on my face. He obliges and the moment the spray hits my face, I am ecstatic. It feels sooooooo damn good and fresh. Then he wipes my face with a tissue and starts working with the scissor on my hair. Snip, snip, snip he goes expertly while I watch in fascination.
After a while he finishes the job and opens the drawer. He picks up that electric shaver used to remove small hair under your collar on the back of the neck. I remember I used to get tickled when I was a kid when that razor was used and now when it's used, I find all hair on body standing and I get that ticklish feeling all over again.
That done, he gets a big mirror and holds it behind my head so that I can see how the job has been done. I turn left, turn right looking carefully and run my hands through my hair. I feel it was good and I tell him. The mirror is kept away and then out comes the hard brush which is used vigorously to wipe away traces of any hair left on my face, clothes or body. Then he uses that flower pot brush to liberally apply some talcum powder on the back of my neck.
Then with a flourish he puts my shirt collar back and asks me whether I want a head massage. I refuse and he seems a bit upset.
I pay him 40 rupees and tip him too, after all I got
A1 treatment for that kind of money. He smiles and I smile back. I walk out feeling lighter on my head but much much more fresher than I went in.
Who wouldn't , when childhood memories come flooding back ? Pure Nostalgia.
ps - One change I observed was that these days the classic 2 in 1 stereo is no more in vogue. In it's place we have the "all over the place" FM Radio. I missed listening to songs on a cassette on a 2 in 1 stereo player.
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