A Traveler's Memoir

I was hired into business development and my boss was not an easy one. In fact, one of the scariest. A perfectionist.  I didn't know what he was trying with me? Finally one day, just after 3 months I told him “Abhi, I don't think I can save our friendship if we continue to work together.” He said okay, like a gentleman, as we reached the office he wrote me a cheque to date and said “You can hand it over.” Only after leaving his company, I realised the knowledge I had gained but I don't regret quitting since I would have lost his friendship. One great guidance I got was to treat personal life and work-life separately, which I apply even now. Life is impossible otherwise. During graduation, I wanted to be a tour escort, so I could travel to different places. With the pressure to settle down, I ended up taking the wrong jobs and messed my career. I have about 7 offer letters with hardly a couple of relieving letters. I do things with passion or don't do it at all. The day...

The backpack started to feel heavier with every step I took. After walking for about a kilometre I saw Nitesh riding towards me on his yellow deo. It was drizzling when we started and It rained hailstones later. Nitesh Etta took a video without even pressing the record button. I wanted to buy them something. Last time I had bought a pack of cigarettes and this time I wanted to take something to eat. He liked brownies, so I bought some and reached Meadows. Just after 5 minutes, Mani Etta got there with Vibin. They said we have a guest for Gundupatti today. Vibin Etta and I started on a hero honda passion, We stopped at a tea shop nearby, waiting for the guest while they arrived in a white Volkswagen Vento. Two families with two babies. One still crawling while the other taking baby steps.  They were basically Telugu people settled in Bangalore. They continued to follow as we rode ahead. The ride to Gundupatti is one priceless experience. It did not matter sitting pillion anymore and...

Nitesh Etta said he would drop me back, I prepared black tea and after a joint, we left. As I walked towards the restaurant, Nair sir called and asked me to freshen up and go. Lawrence brother is going home for a couple of days. He was waiting for Chef Prabakaran to relieve him. Chandru and Navneet joined today. Chandru for Service and Navneet for the restaurant. Selvam sir asked me to train Navneet on the system and said I might have to move to his office to handle reservations.  Navneet is 38. He is married and blessed with two daughters. He used to work before marriage, then decided to start a food joint in an IT park in Chennai. Unfortunately, the business went on a loss, he had to sell his wife's gold and almost everything to cover his losses, His wife left him and started living with her parents in Kodaikanal with the kids. When she started asking for a divorce, Navneet left Chennai and relocated to Kodai to try convincing her and to take her back. He said, he has abused her ...

Kathirvelan from reception wanted to go home due to a death in his family, he needed an advance but was denied. He called Swami in the Kitchen asking for some cash. Swami asked everyone, I gave 200 while Raghu gave a 100.  Any organisation can be a success only when its employees take ownership of the business or consider the company's vision as theirs, else it would just be a political war with the company as a country, for example.  Our guest in 111 from Palakkad, who worked in the gulf, has come for a vacation with his wife and two kids. Today, he called asking if he could get ragi porridge since his little girl wasn't keeping well, they had the ragi flour. I checked with the chef if i could make it, he agreed. I went up and got the flour and asked the chef if I could make it too? I grew up eating ragi porridge for breakfast almost every day since childhood and I bet I am good at preparing. The chef simply noded a go-ahead. For a moment, it took me to my days in Bangalore w...