~ A Morning Breakfast...~

I always look forward to meet him during my spiritual sojourns twice a year, as the train culminates early in the day, quickly I rush to my hotel to freshen-up and have a tea cuppa with bread slice spread with butter, all done in a spik and span haste by the man I intrinsically adore!

He has gone old – as I know him almost since a decade, for nothing for him has changed, not even his clothes and his persona – I still strongly remember once on my very first meeting with him as a customer , he did not pay and heed towards my request of providing me with a cup of sugar-free tea and slice of bread laced with a butter or anything worth eating with my favourite beverage – he kept mum, as he still do, was totally engrossed in fulfilling an order of another customer who was eagerly waiting for his roadside “Breakfast” whilst it was dawn of the moment. 

I still don’t know his name as I never asked for it, this time when I had the privilege to meet him, he was being assisted by his younger son as he was teaching the ‘business’ of roasting bread on raw flame to him and also of applying a thin layer of butter on the load of bread… Both father and son duo were reticent and minding their own business. As the shops were about to open, their makeshift rollable stall was asked to shift forward for the convenience of customers who will footfall in the huge showroom when the whole mart is up and running.

As my breakfast was ready , I asked for the price that I had to pay, quickly came the voice “ Rs 50” – the father was quick in finishing off the conversation as he had another customer lined up to be served- surely both father and son were doing brisk business standing on the by-lanes. 

Post my breakfast, I commented, “ uncle the tea and bread were sumptuous and tasty, every time I come here I always have it from you as you start my day with aplomb!” – he gently responded by a cheeky smile and so did the son – I asked the young man, what you do to which he replied “ Bhaiya , I have finished my graduation and now assisting my father in this business..” As i continued, "dont you want to work in an office?, now that you are a graduate?" , he quickly nodded his head in a vociferous "No" ...I could sense his love and affection of his father's hardwork over the years and wanted to take this forward...

Truly serving bread and butter to all and sundry was their business which they revered since times immemorial, and more so they did this with utter dedication! 

As I said goodbye and thanked them, they smiled and reverted…” Jai Mata Di”….knowingly or unknowingly they were serving humanity…now that I came back home, I try to apply the same trick to have the bread laced with butter on the raw flame emulating uncle but in vain… no wonder, over the years, uncle has created a craft for himself and a patent which nobody can snatch for him even if anyone wants to…

As I eagerly wait for my next visit, the taste of that morning breakfast still brings passionate mouth-watering feeling but I simply cant match the palate served in that early hours of the day with love and affection…the await continues...