“Tell me if I am wrong, but is it true that you spend only two hours – out of a total of 9 hours of a typical work-day of yours – doing actual “cooking”, as I would call it to be…?”
“No… no… not at all, I work almost 11 hours in a day and…”
“Err… I am sorry to interrupt you but it was only an hour ago when you narrated your workflow and it was quite evident that besides an hour and a half full of meetings, two hours of pick-up-counter duty, one hour of staff-training and about one hour of food and beverage inventory process, you are left with only three to four hours of “actual” time – as per your words, those exact words I happened to jot in my diary as YOU exactly described YOUR typical workday to me – in which you can possibly do something “creative” or be “hands-on”! Is it correct, Babush?”
Babush was biting his lower lip and apparently, he did not have an answer.
“But sir, all that… that is equally important for… arrr arrr… OUR operation and not only does it increase our productivity, but it also helps us in our o…o… own personal development!” he was muttering and stammering for some reason and DK did not seem to be too impressed! Nevertheless, I guess, this was the best that Babush could do… However, DK did not fail to admire the enthusiasm with which this young - 23 or something years old – short man was trying to sell himself to claim a trivial job such as the one, DK was willing to offer!
In addition to that, DK also noticed in this person, genuineness, something he perceived to be relatively atypical in the youth of today. DK had been in the trade for a little less than 15 years now and he knew what he wanted from an ideal candidate and although he did not “not” trust the 20 year-olds currently flocking on the job portals all over the internet, he had learnt his lessons well after falling quite a few number of times.
“Look Babush, I am not debating the usefulness of the processes that your organization applies, I am only trying to find a slot that is shaped exactly and made only for you. After all, I would never try to fit a square peg in a circular slot or vice versa”
DK did have a point there!
A point that Babush was however, refusing to understand. He needed that job. After three months of blindly applying on the portals, and not getting any response, DK was his only hope left… Nonetheless, something was keeping Babush motivated, something, that was not allowing him to give up convincing DK that he was the right person for the vacancy that DK needed to fill urgently! Notwithstanding the fact that the decision was DK’s and not his, Babush was persistent… and yet, very polite in his approach and for a moment there, he did succeed to impress DK, who now, rather than causes to rebuff him, was considering reasons to select this fair plump gentleman from Garhwal…
“…Microsoft Excel, Powerpoint, Word… etc. etc. umm… well…”
DK needed more than the man’s enthusiasm and genuineness to select him and with a view to find that “something more”, he was scanning Babush’s CV. But how and from where do so many Garhwali’s become experts in the art of operating the Tandoor? Where is their school, if at all there is one? DK’s boss had once told him, when DK was still a trainee, that the people inhabiting the higher reaches of the mountains had more muscle power in their limbs and since to operate the charcoal fired Indian clay oven was a very strenuous job, people from Garhwal – a place located 5000 meters above sea level – were best suited for it! But DK was not from the mountains. He had lived his life on the plains and the highest he had gone was only to
While he continued to read Babush’s CV with eyes on the paper and his glasses resting on the small parrot’s-beak-like protrusion on his nose, DK could observe the tension build up slowly but steadily, on Babush’s face. He could sense that Babush was a wee bit uncomfortable now and that the only way to relieve him of his tensions was to break the ice, before once again, he witnesses another man break down and start to cry in his presence.
“Tell me Babush, why does a handsome guy like you spend 11-12 hours working in a kitchen? I mean, I am sure you do have a girlfriend, or someone you look forward to meet up with in your free time or on your offs?” he asked, while taking off his glasses from his crooked nose and keeping them table, as he carefully avoided the few drops of coffee that by now had dried to resemble stains caused by turmeric. DK always considered TT’s a better place to have a coffee, however, since he was the Recruitment-Head for the Coffee-by-the-Day, he had little choice, but to live with the small glitches that he more often than not, conveniently ignored. Moreover, he patronizing the competition of his company would surely NOT bring him accolades if anything else!
“Just a second…” he interrupted Babush before even he could give an answer to this rather unexpected question that DK had asked him.
“Masci… can you please clean my table” he could not ignore the stains on the cream-colored surface of the table, anymore than he already had.
Masci was prompt to adhere to the order of his Vice-President and as efficient as he was, Mascarehnas Daniel Taskkus, fondly called “Masci” by his known-ones and his kinsmen, was the oldest working employee of this small Coffee Shop that could seat only 58 people at one time. At a place where monthly staff turnover exceeded fifty percent, the Coffee-by-the-Day, at the MGF Metropolitan Mall, had him employed for his excellent services for more than seven months now. And THAT was the longest that any employee had worked since its opening, about three years back. DK knew this and he also knew, how to value his resources…
“Masci is one of the very good people we have in our company at present. But he is not half as good as the kind of a playboy he is for his uncountable girlfriends!” DK had a smile on his face when he made that remark and he made sure he was not very loud, yet loud enough for Masci to hear it.
Masci smiled cautiously – with a smile that was wide enough and almost appeared to reach till his ears – lifted his head as he paused wiping the table for a moment and looked at his Vice President, who was reflecting a sparkle in his eyes, wearing a well lit smile himself. DK always did this to his staff and took good care of them. He had a penchant to be nice to them and almost always, his little remarks, like the one he made right now for Masci, did bring a sense of achievement amongst his people, whenever he addressed them with his the natural fondness that he possessed for each of them. Masci was proud to be known so closely by a person of such a high position as that of DK’s and more than that it gave him an enough boost to his self esteem to understand and to be aware of the fact that an important person such as DK calls him with the name his near and dear ones call him with – Masci.
“I live alone, sir” Babush replied, shyly.
“Oh come awn! Babush, you really are a womanizer! Tell me that is not true!”
“No sir, it certainly isn’t”
“Well it is alright, if you do not wish to reveal… but I am sure, you are lying!”
“I am not sir…”
“Yes you are” and when he said that, he could see that Babush’s fair flabby face was almost red by now!
“Hehehe… anyways, forget that, tell me, how many brothers and sisters you have”
“Sir, I have only one sister and she is married”
“Okay and who else is in your family, your mom, dad… what do they do?”
“My mom passed away when I was seven and my father lives with me in Gurgaon”
“Oh… I am so sorry”
“Not at all sir, she was suffering from renal failure and my father tells me that it was good that she died. I think she was too ill, to live anymore…”
“Hmmm… I actually agree with you…”
“Sir, I have been working on the Tandoor since three years now and I know how to make a lot of things such as Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Tikka, Kebab Sultani, Tandoori Fish, Naan, Roti…”
“Babush… Babush… I do NOT doubt your credentials and nor am I undermining your talent, however, I need a person who can manage a kitchen and does not need to BE managed by anyone, himself! We are introducing “Indian Snacks” in the Menu of this Coffee Shop and I need someone, who more than a chef, is a better manager. Besides, one cannot judge someone’s expertise by the time he or she has spent working somewhere. Honestly, you need to impress me further to prove to me that you would turn out to be just the manager I am looking to hire”
“Masci!” Babush called.
“Yes sir?”
“Can I ask you a couple of questions?”
“Please… sir, anything, absolutely…”
“How much do you do in a day?”
“On weekends we touch about sixty thousand and on weekdays like the Monday today, we rarely cross twenty”
“It must be very busy and full of rush on Saturdays and Sundays?”
“Yes sir… we do not even get time to ready the tables for the waiting guests and sometimes, they sit on un-cleared tables that still need to be cleared! But we cannot do much, the guests are very determined and do not even bestow us those two minutes we need to clear the tables! But it is good fun… we enjoy it!”
DK knew Babush was reaching at something. Momentarily, he wanted to break off Babush’s conversation and give his own inputs instead, but he voted against doing so.
“And I have learnt that you are one of the oldest here… is it not?” Babush continued
“Yes… it has been about seven months or so”
“…and I have been made to learn that you are really good at your work…” Babush smiled while making that complement
“Thank You sir, but I just do my job” Masci, as gracious as he was, every time, with everyone, never fell short to be humble.
“But I have to confess that you are not doing it very well, I mean, your job… you are not doing your job really very well!”
This time Babush did not wear a smile, did not stammer and almost instantly, saw the expressions of the two people who were closest around him at that moment, shrink to be minimal. There was no beam, none on anyone’s face. DK, otherwise the omniscient, also did not see this comment coming from anywhere, least of all, not from Babush!!! What did he mean by that? What right did Babush have to humiliate one of HIS own boys? Such audacity, such impudence… The victim, Masci, was also taken aback! Although DK wanted to intrude again, instead once more, he rather chose to wait for a little more than a while…
“Masci, I only wish to know that while cleaning those few coffee stains on the side where sir is sitting, did you not spot this side of the table that probably, could also have had the pleasure to be in contact with a damp sponge?”
Now, almost all eyes were staring at the table, almost all eyes… except Babush’s.
“Just a second, sir”
Masci almost rushed to fetch the sponge, one that is designed very exquisitely and specifically for the use of “elite” Coffee Shops, one that is about four inches long, half as much wide with about half an inch of thickness, and the one that soaks up as much water as a cloth three times its size can. A couple of seconds after that, Masci was attacking a two millimeters think, about five centimeters long, thin yellow line that appeared to join Babush’s saucer with the left hand extreme edge of the table.
And at this instance, DK smiled…
“Babush, your shift starts at seven in the morning, finishes at four, you have an hour long lunch break, your meals are on the house and… you start from the tenth, no wait, eighth… which happens to be a Monday, next week! In short, you’re hired”
Almost simultaneously, they heard…
“Yes Sir!” Masci responded to the table seated a few table away – as he neatly collected their empty cups, arranged the saucers, wiped the table once more, and rushed, carrying the now heavy salver.
“Be with you in a second” and just as he said – while pausing for a second next to that table – so did his face lit up yet once again, with his beaming smile, as it did every time, when a guest called on for him!
PS: TWO years later
Babush is still employed with Coffee-by-the-Day Inc. and is now working to the capacity of an Area Chef-Gurgaon and now has three Coffee Shops under him... also, the new ”Tandoori” dishes that he introduced were a big hit!
DK still recruits for the Chain but now quite often, sits at the TT’s, the closest competitor, but gives “Competition-Analysis” as an excuse to justify his action!! DK and I do cross our ways once a month or so… it is always a pleasure to meet him!
Masci quit five months after Babush joined, but did make a Record of ONE YEAR of employment at the Coffee-by-the-Day Inc., the LONGEST ever in the CHAIN of thirty Coffee Shops all over India, however, he is now working with the TT’s. DK still likes him and only last week offered Masci a position of an Assistant-Manager and asked him to join back Coffee-by-the-Day Inc.!
Masci is thinking about the offer… I think he shall concede! ©®
