Attitude counts

I am in Bombay this week (not Mumbai, Bombay, like I knew it from my childhood), my hometown. And as anyone who gets to go home only occasionally, I am doing indulging myself. I had a list of things I wanted to eat including pav bhaji, vada pav and pani puri, not to mention shrikhand and other sundry stuff. Surprisingly I was able to get through most of these cravings in the first two days itself.

As all pani puris connoisseurs know, the best tasting ones are available by the roadside and involve the dipping of the fluffy puris into the spicy water by hand. Hygiene factors notwithstanding, the crunch of the puris as the water explodes with flavor is a thrill that is addictive. So Dad and I were waiting our turn at a small shop which opens onto the busy street and serves delicious Bombay chat. At that time of the evening, groups of young girls were hovering around debating their choices. One girl loudly said to the distinguished looking gentleman (Uncle) who was in charge of preparing the chat that her aunt told her that “Uncle” used to look like Amir Khan in college. I thought he looked quite handsome with his salt and pepper hair and kind eyes. In the banter that followed, it was revealed that Uncle used to be law student along with the aunt of the college girl. Due to circumstances, he had to give up his studies and to support a large family he sold chat from a hand cart. Times were tough when the police or the municipality honchos would haul away his cart. He told his story dispassionately as if narrating a movie script, with no bitterness. His shop seemed to be doing well with a constant swarm of customers at all times of the day.

I said that there is nothing wrong in changing the course of one’s life as long as you had a choice and more importantly, if you were true to the choice you made. He was happy to hear that I had come from Hyderabad and had enjoyed his chat. In the final tally, doing good work, pleasing your customers and doing it happily is what is essential to leading a meaningful life. Perhaps the giggling girls did not get the deeper aspects of the conversation as they tucked into their delicacies but I am sure they learnt one lesson, there is dignity in all work and it comes from the attitude you bring to it.