"Imtiaaz Miyan...Zila Jaunpur, UP"

Haircut to me is what we call a "functional" activity.

It's not something that I plan for days about. Yeah...it does matter to me if I'm not able to make it to the barber for something or the other. Laziness is a valid and acceptable reason. Of course! I am from Lucknow, remember!?!? But that doesn't mean I'm game for "Sun n Shade"...for the un-enlightened ones, its the "under the tree barber setup". That's only for emergencies!

So when I first came to Hinjewadi, on the outskirts of Pune and the heart of the IT happenings in the state, looking for a barber was on the top of my agenda. A legacy of my growing up days...many in cities like Srinagar, where HAVING a barber was a luxury, I did not have a checklist that I carried around for zeroing in on one. It all was purely need based. Some of the people from Pune in the class mentioned about this suburb called Aundh about 12-14kms from the college with the some good shops. The "proper" kinds with A/C and all the jazz...

But as I said, haircut to me is a "functional" activity. On one of my "explore the nieghbourhood" walks...I came accross this shop. A typical small time barber shop with the quintessential huge and complicated looking but actually dumb cushioned chairs, mirrors on either sides (one at the back with an angle, obviously). Surprisingly, the place had no name. No boards. Nothing. Ok...so now I had the place marked.

Sunday. 11:30 am. Missed my breakfast so was kinda grumpy. I patiently waited for my turn. When it came I took my chair and closed my eyes.

"Aadab huzoor..." (Greetings Sir) I was expecting someone with a Marathi accent but...
"...aap yahan naye hain kya?" (Are you new here?)
"...ji haan...yahan padh raha hun" (Yes. I'm studying here.)

I've stayed in Lucknow for just three years but its a nice feeling to run into someone who speaks with the same unhurried pace. I was replying till now with my eyes closed. Finally, I looked up to find a short, stocky and perpetually smiling gentleman. I smiled back at him. I think he read the enquiring look in my eyes and said slowly,
"Imtiaaz Miyan...Zila Jaunpur, UP" (I'm Imtiaaz Miyan from Jaunpur, UP).

That was a year and a half ago and I'm now a regular at Imtiyaaz Miyan's shop. Imtiyaaz is like the "age-old" Indian barber. He is clumsy at times, but thankfully only at handling the cup of tea he always seems to have with him. He has a warm way of connecting with his customers. There are times when he pulls a fast one on his customers and somehow they don't mind either. No one asks him to hurry up. We all know he wouldn't. But still...we all wait for our turns. Afterall... apart from being great at his job, there aren't many barbers today who give you a post-haircut head massage as well Imtiyaaz. And its never less than 5mts...no matter how impatient the person next in the line is getting!

To be honest...I know that conventionally speaking, I don't "belong" in that shop. I'm supposed to be this upwardly mobile guy who's about to arrive in the corporate world and be "with it" as far as all the latest trends & fashions are concerned. The people I wait in the line with... are mostly the ones we would not think about honking at... if they were to cross the street in front of our cars or bikes. But somehow I like it here. The slow...easy pace...no one's rushing anywhere. People have time to share stuff without having to look at the watch every 5mts. It's nice.

Imtiyaaz has recently bought himself a second-hand mp3 player but he jus has one CD, that too of ABBA. Which he promptly puts on whenever he sees me. I guess I am only one who comes to his shop and actually at least looks like enjoying those songs (I actually do!). I've promised him a CD of Ghazals and popular Hindi songs the next time we meet...

I'm not due for a haircut for another 15 days. So I guess I have some time...