The Barber

It was Mid July where the rains were pouring in full swing. I had decided that by this week Sunday, I should get rid of my long hairs and also trim beard so I look like a gentleman once again.

Work pressure and stress had lately took over me and I had no time to look after myself. Finally, I decided to take some time out of my busy schedule to actually perform hair cut and trim my beard. This time thought of visiting a new barber. The were two intentions behind this decision, first was as I said earlier, perform hair cut and trim the beard, second and somewhat important for me was to have conversation with someone whom I have never met before. (I like making friends and chit chatting and listening to their experience and sharing my life experiences as well, mostly I tend to be more towards listening).

I left home and started walking but didn’t knew where I was heading to. I had seen a salon, an old shop, somewhat walking distance from my house, however I had never visited it before. I had seen a barber attending customers and he was the only one in the shop, an old man of around 70+ age. I had many doubts running in my head, like, what if he doesn’t give hair cut as I want, what if he doesn’t trim the beard I would like to. The consequences I will have to face if he doesn’t perform well and anything goes wrong with my looks!

My friends and relatives would make fun and would laugh at me. And today’s generation folks need a topic for social media discussion, I would become hot topic for them!! Many such weird doubt came flying to my head when I was walking toward the Salon.

Finally, I was standing outside the Salon, I saw an old man sitting on the chair and the barber who was almost the same age as of him, giving him the man a hair cut. I first hesitated to enter the shop remembering the doubts I had in my mind, however, I thought something related to conversation I wanted to had about his experience and gathered courage and entered the shop by saying Salaam to the old man working as a barber.

“WalaikumAssalam”, I was greeted back with a smile from the old barber as he was giving the final touch to the old man he was working on to give a hair cut.

Here is the conversation that went on with the barber in the shop:

Barber: What would you like to do?

Me: Hair Cut and Beard Trim.

Barber: Please be seated here. (Pointing towards a red chair in the shop).

Me: Thank You.

While I was trying to get comfortably seated on the chair, I saw barber getting ready with the cloth to cover me up and start with the hair cut. “How long have you been running this shop?” I asked. He replied, “Its almost more than 20 years now!” I was astonished to hear that this shop has been operating from around 20 years in my locality and I never have visited it in recent years!

“What kind of hair cut would you like?” I replied, “Make it short enough, I want to get rid off this long hairs now!”

He right away started off his work. “I have seen this shop being closed multiple times since last week, were you out of town?”. He replied, “No, actually I am not well I had got paralysis attack on the left side of my body while I was working in this shop two weeks back!”

I was astonished to hear this and noticed that his left hand was down and he wasn’t doing any actions from his left hand however he was able to move it little but with support from his other hand. Even with all this, he was able to perform the haircut in a very professional way by making use of the machine to trim the hair and using scissors and comb to level it correctly.

He appeared to be an old man of more than 70+ age. However, his skills were very much polished in terms of performing haircut and trimming the beard. It took around 30–35 minutes for haircut and beard trimming both with final touch. While he was giving the hair cut a conversation sparked in between us regarding the good olden days and this is how it all went..

Me: “What is your name?”

Barber: “Saud, Saud is my name! Locals here call me Saud chacha” and then he started narrating about his good old days when he started working as a barber almost 40+ years back.

Saud chacha: “Its almost 40+ years now I am doing the salon work! I started working when Mumbai was called Bombay. I used to work in a small shop near Byculla. We used to charge 5 paisa for shaving and 10 paisa for haircut.”

He went on speaking unstopped, “This is something around 1970s I am talking about!! I used to shave with the “Ustra” which had to be sharpened with hand before shaving. It didn’t have the use and throw blades.”

Me: “Do you still have that tool — “Ustra” in your toolbox?

Saud chacha: “No, it is banned now and we don’t use it. Anyways, the razors are much safer and good tool to use for shaving. Anyone can use it. And nowadays, we have more safer use and throw razors which even doesn’t require you to change the blades. My son likes to use new tools and orders as soon as he hears about a new one. This trimming machine was bought by him.”

“Oh! so your son is also a barber?” I inquired politely.

“He does it part time to fetch money, actually he is a commerce student. He joins me at shop when he finds free time. Generally on Sundays, when there is a rush.”

I was glad to hear though he is a barber he has not pushed his son into the same profession. In fact, his son is a commerce student.

While we were still in the conversation, I heard another voice from behind, “Saud chacha aur kitna time lagega?” (Saud Uncle, how much more time will it take for this customer?”). Saud chacha turned back, smiled and answered, “Just a final touch to the moustache, it is almost done! You can have a seat, 5 more minutes!”

He made a final touch to my moustache and with a razor in his hand asked me look down while shaving the unwanted hair from my neck. He then took a medium sized mirror in his hand and asked me check the haircut from the back of my head. I nodded my head confirming that it is perfect.

Indeed, it was a pleasant conversation with some good old memories with Saud chacha. From his face, I could determine that he enjoyed the conversation as well and loved to share the memories with me.

Truly, an old man has more experience about life and can narrate some good old memories that can take you back to his time.