'Barberic' conversations

It is very surprising to see the places where interesting conversations teem up. These places are those where work takes its own time (with no deadlines or pressures), where conversations are to kill time or just to boost one's ego that one can also blabber. These conversations are just not aimless conversations with no real motivation, but sometimes even involve fact based and also supported by theories. Some of these places can be a day flight (yeah yesterday i had a pretty lass, next to me... and we discussed on 'MS in US'. :P) , a bus stand, a queue en-route to the electricity counter (online payments had brutally murdered this prospect these days), book stores (crossword... Gosh!! how can I forget him. he was pitching for Amway.). I want to leave all the embarrassing stories and talk about one place which has been my fav spot for interesting conversations.

If you have not guessed the place till now (from the title...), it is a barber shop. This sets the ambiance of a 'conversation friendly eco-system'. So here are the conversations i overheard and participated in my last three visits:

1. I was not reading newspapers off late and so I had no clue of the latest happenings. The comb started chaffing my scalp and the scissors almost comes kissing the comb, suddenly there are fowl words uttered with a bang. I look at the barber in the mirror. For a minute I thought it was my stubborn dandruff which is the object of his despise. He smiles at me and says "Is there an ashram at Hyderabad too?" (he knows that I am from hyd). I brush aside the conversation saying that there are a lot of ashrams trying to gauge the most appropriate place that he should start cropping. He says "He has an ashram near mysore and still he does this.". Now his eyes direct me to the TV screen while his fingers nimble at work. I turn my eyes from his reflection in mirror to the TV screen. I see a orange clad man but before I can see what he is up to there is a brutal force on my neck which twists it to the other side as though it was something I am forbidden to see. But soon I realized the intentions of a barber is to tweak the erring strands of hair and not be my moral police. The barber on the next chair now comments: "Why is that heroine....." it fades away as though I am not privy to those words. Now buoyed by my curiosity (or ignorance) I yell at him "What happened?". He looks at me with a pale face as though condescending on to me 'you dont know this... you dull head?' and speaks for me "Nityananda Swami... he is a rogue. He has two ashrams near Bangalore.. one near bidadi and one in tamil nadu. He has an affair with the actress. Now he is caught red-handed. This guy must be hanged. He got so much money also.". (As though, having money is a crime in India). The next half an hour was an open discussion on all the Swamiji's in India and how faithful they are.

2. I always thought career planning and networking was for white collared jobs. Well educated spoiled brats plan their careers and live by the dreams. But that day I was proven wrong. The guy with a scisscors in hand and comb on my scalp was a novice. I know it, the moment he laid his hands on me. Not that he does not know the skill, he does. But he is brimming with excitement and enthusiasm which is not always good when someone is holding a razor to your neck. So I eased him a bit describing how I would need my style of craft and asking him some personal questions. In mid of the conversation there is an entrant into the room. Suddenly the big barber turns in all appreciation to him. He smiles and exchanges greetings and asks "When are you coming back?". With all earnest, the reply comes "Dont know... but soon". He then leaves nodding his head. Now the novice turns to his master and asks who it was. (As though he should know everyone walking in from that door). The master says that he was with him for last two years. Now he went to his village and started his own shop. (probably inspired by Billu Barber :P). He keeps coming to city to take novice barbers to work in his shop. As an 'alumni' of the present shop he comes here. (Alumni meets :P). The novice now very much into this story asks if he can join that shop? (and did we hear that poaching is only in IT companies?). Spat comes the reply "I will tell him to take you if you do well here for next one year." :P.

3. Going on an overseas assignment is always fascinating for Indians. In fact that day even I was thinking of picking up a job with a US or European company and relocating. But this conversation gave a different perspective. As I raised my head to have a glimpse of the craftsmanship applied on my scalp, I see a person walking in. He was pretty heavy built, dark and strong. The master barber welcomed him with all respect. I initially thought it was a local 'pehalwan'. During their conversations I came to know the guest has just returned from Dubai. He is a driver who migrated from Bangalore to Dubai. He is respected because of his foreign stature. The master barber wanted to check the prospects of migrating to dubai and pursuing his profession. Can you guess what the reply was? The guest comments "Its a bad idea for a profession like barber because the sheikh's dont shave their beards". :P