I was working in Delhi. The name 'Kunjammal Bhavan' was popular even among the Tamils living there, who had connections in Chennai
When I had been to Chennai on a visit, I went to 'Kunjammal Bhavan' with my friend
The name board fixed at the entrance of the restaurant had the words 'Cleanliness, Hygiene and Taste' written above the name of the restaurant in fonts larger than the ones used to write the name of the restaurant itself.
About twenty people were sitting in the waiting room outside the dining hall. They had been issued tokens and were being sent inside in the order of the token numbers.
After waiting for fifteen minutes, we were ushered into the dining hall.
The atmosphere inside the dining hall resembled that of a five star hotel.
Features like spotless carpets on the floor, portraits hung on the walls coated with a light colour paint and the decorative false ceiling under the high roof, all set up with taste, instantly attracted those entering the dining hall.
The dining tables were set with large spaces in between them. This gave the appearance of high class to the restaurant.
"It is because they have fewer tables due to their having been placed with a lot of space between them that people have to wait outside" remarked my friend.
"They give more importance to the ambience. That is why they have put fewer tables, even though such an arrangement has resulted in a lower capacity" I said.
In conformity with the words used on the board outside, the food was exquisitely tasty. Cleanliness and hygiene were also observed scrupulously.
With a view to enabling the diners to witness how cleanliness and hygiene were being observed in the kitchen, a transparent glass panel had been fixed on the upper part of the door leading to the kitchen.
"People can also go to the spot where the dishes are being cleaned" said my friend.
While coming out of the dining hall, after finishing our meal, I told my friend, "When I heard high praises for the restaurant from various sources, I thought that people were creating a hype about this place. But things are actually better than how they were described" I said.
"You are an expert at finding faults. If you are praising this restaurant, it is an honour to the restaurant" said my friend, half in jest and half in earnestness.
When we were coming out of the restaurant, my friend showed a cabin with a glass door and pointing to a person sitting inside the cabin, said "He is the proprietor. Though he has several restaurants in the city, most of the times he will be here, since this is the first restaurant started by him"
Acting on an impulse, I stood outside the door of the proprietor's cabin and tapped the door gently with my knuckles, seeking his permission to enter his cabin. After he signaled his consent, the two of us went into his cabin and sat in front of him.
"Everything - the ambience, the hygiene, the cleanliness, the taste of the food and the aesthetics - about your restaurant is good. I wanted to convey my appreciation to you in person" I said.
"Thank you, sir" he said, smiling.
"I am a journalist. Therefore, I am asking this question out of curiosity. You have bought this restaurant which was running on loss and been running it so well. How did you manage to do this?"
Immediately after asking this question, I wondered whether I was being presumptuous in posing this question to a businessman, who is a stranger to me. But he answered me without any hesitation.
"I was working as the manager of this restaurant. When it was running at a loss, I made some suggestions to the proprietor for improving our performance. But he was not in a position to consider my ideas. After the situation became worse, he decided to sell the restaurant. Fortunately, he had no borrowings. So, he could have the entire sale proceeds for himself. When he expressed his intention to sell the restaurant, the prospective buyers offered very low prices. Since this area was not well developed, not many people evinced interest in buying this place. Every one asked for a price much below the market price. Initially, he was not inclined to accept a low price. But after a while, finding that he was not getting any good offer, he was reconciled to sell this place at a low price. At that time, I made an offer to him. I told him that I would buy the restaurant from him at the market price. But at that time, I didn't have much money. I also needed money to renovate and relaunch the restaurant. I told him that I would enter into a sale agreement with him to buy the restaurant at the market price, that I would pay part of the sale consideration immediately, pay the remaining amount within a year and then get the property registered in my name. I also offered to pay him interest every month on the amount due from me. Since he had faith in me, he accepted my proposal. I paid him a part of my savings as advance payment and took possession of the restaurant. Since I had been working in restaurants for twenty years, I know some very good cooks. I employed one of them as the head cook and retaining other employees already working here, I restarted the restaurant, after giving it a new look. I have learnt many things about this trade during my long service in this line. I also had some ideas of my own. Using my knowledge gained from my experience and some of my own ideas, I have been able to run the restaurant successfully, with God's grace" said the proprietor.
"You said that you had worked in restaurants for twenty years. Where did you start?" I asked, driven by the natural curiosity of a journalist.
"I worked as a tea boy in a small teashop, carrying tea to various people and serving them at their places. I had brought tea to you also. Don't you remember me?" he asked me, with a giggle.
Surprised by his question, I asked him, "When? Where?"
When I looked at his face keenly, his face looked familiar. But I was unable to recall where I had met him.
"You were staying in a lodge in Adyar. I was working in the teashop, situated opposite to your lodge. If someone from your lodge needed tea, he would call out my name loudly!"
The smile on his face had become broader. It appeared that he was relishing the memories of the past.
I remembered him then.
"Are you Maharaja?" I yelled impulsively, but immediately realizing the mistake of calling him by his name without any title, I said "I am sorry."
How many times, I would have yelled, "Hey, Maharaja! Bring me a cup of tea!" standing on the corridor of my lodge!
I recalled our enjoying the joke of summoning a Maharaja (meaning Emperor) and commanding him to bring us tea. One of us had even remarked right over his face "his parents could have chosen a different name for him!"
Once, provoked by our comments, he said, "You will see that some day, I will start my own restaurant."
We all laughed treating his statement as a joke.
Now, the 'emperor' was looking at me and laughing.
Section 2
Knowing One's Strength
karudhi idaththAl seyin.
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