The menu board displayed outside the restaurant drew my attention first and stimulated my thirst next - the peculiar thirst that can be quenched only by the flow of coffee down my throat. With utmost restraint, I yielded to the temptation with a resolve that I would just take a cup of coffee and nothing more. The obvious reason was that while my wallet was fast getting depleted of money like a well, of water during summer, the payday remained far away like a cloud on the horizon.
In keeping with my prudent ways, I checked up the price-list before stepping into the restaurant and was relieved to note that a cup of coffee would cost no more than eighty paise. 'Not bad, in these days of raising prices,' I thought, rather appreciatively.
Just after seating myself comfortably in the restaurant and before giving my order to the waiter, who had promptly appeared before me, I asked him what the price of a cup of coffee was.This was by way of confirmation, my cautious nature being what it is.
But to my shock, the waiter said that the coffee would cost me 90 paise per cup. Before I could protest, he cut me short with his curt reply "I know what you are going to ask me. Of course, the price of coffee was 80 paise when you were entering the restaurant. The price has gone up now. The menu board is being updated."
After this exemplary professional performance, which his employer would have doubtlessly commended if only he had been present on the scene and watched the performance of his employee, the waiter quickly retired to the kitchen to get me the cup I had ordered, which he presently brought and delivered to me with a smile, which, at that time, I construed to be of a sign of courtesy, the smile, which, after a few seconds revealed itself to me as a symbol of mischief.
The coffee was hot, colorful, bright and was tasteless. The same cup, if offered as a cup of tea, would have been accepted as tea by an unsuspecting diner. Anyway, I don't intend to describe here the physical properties of the coffee that was served to me.
As I ingested my last sip, I was presented the bill by the waiter, the hitherto seemingly courteous smile on his face transforming into a mischievous, malicious and derisive smirk. I was in for another shock. The bill had been made for one rupee!
'Well, well. No need to flare up,' I restrained myself, 'the waiter had apparently made a slip. (you are apt to make a slip with a slip of paper, aren't you?)'
So rationalizing the aberration, I patiently pointed out the mistake to the waiter expecting him to apologize profusely and make amends.
In keeping with my prudent ways, I checked up the price-list before stepping into the restaurant and was relieved to note that a cup of coffee would cost no more than eighty paise. 'Not bad, in these days of raising prices,' I thought, rather appreciatively.
Just after seating myself comfortably in the restaurant and before giving my order to the waiter, who had promptly appeared before me, I asked him what the price of a cup of coffee was.This was by way of confirmation, my cautious nature being what it is.
But to my shock, the waiter said that the coffee would cost me 90 paise per cup. Before I could protest, he cut me short with his curt reply "I know what you are going to ask me. Of course, the price of coffee was 80 paise when you were entering the restaurant. The price has gone up now. The menu board is being updated."
After this exemplary professional performance, which his employer would have doubtlessly commended if only he had been present on the scene and watched the performance of his employee, the waiter quickly retired to the kitchen to get me the cup I had ordered, which he presently brought and delivered to me with a smile, which, at that time, I construed to be of a sign of courtesy, the smile, which, after a few seconds revealed itself to me as a symbol of mischief.
The coffee was hot, colorful, bright and was tasteless. The same cup, if offered as a cup of tea, would have been accepted as tea by an unsuspecting diner. Anyway, I don't intend to describe here the physical properties of the coffee that was served to me.
As I ingested my last sip, I was presented the bill by the waiter, the hitherto seemingly courteous smile on his face transforming into a mischievous, malicious and derisive smirk. I was in for another shock. The bill had been made for one rupee!
'Well, well. No need to flare up,' I restrained myself, 'the waiter had apparently made a slip. (you are apt to make a slip with a slip of paper, aren't you?)'
So rationalizing the aberration, I patiently pointed out the mistake to the waiter expecting him to apologize profusely and make amends.
Alas, this was not to happen. All the pretension of courtesy was gone from the waiter's face and his derisive expression that was unmistakable was reinforced by his mocking tone.
"The bill was made for the price prevalent at the time the bill was made," he clarified in a patronizing tone. "I am sure, you, being an educated person, are aware how prices are rising these days."
"The bill was made for the price prevalent at the time the bill was made," he clarified in a patronizing tone. "I am sure, you, being an educated person, are aware how prices are rising these days."
His tone was that of an irritated teacher trying to drive a point into the impervious head of a dull student.
"Yes. But not like this," I protested.
"Exactly like this, sir. It is not as if prices have risen. They ARE rising (now he was sounding like an English teacher explaining the nuances of tenses, though he spoke in Tamil) Your coffee was costing eighty paise when you entered the hotel, the price went up to 90 paise when you gave the order and it went up to one rupee when the bill was made.
"Yes. But not like this," I protested.
"Exactly like this, sir. It is not as if prices have risen. They ARE rising (now he was sounding like an English teacher explaining the nuances of tenses, though he spoke in Tamil) Your coffee was costing eighty paise when you entered the hotel, the price went up to 90 paise when you gave the order and it went up to one rupee when the bill was made.
"Ah! It's time for another rise. Strictly speaking, I should change the bill updating it for the price that will prevail when you get up from the chair. But I think I can spare you another rise."
Appreciating his fine gesture, I got up from my seat and walked to the cash counter. When I paid one rupee, the cashier said "ten paise more please."
"What do you mean? The bill is for one rupee. In fact, I was hoping to receive a discount from you," I said angrily.
"I am sorry, sir. We have to be not just up to date but up to time in these days of rapidly rising prices. So, we have a system of updating our prices every five minutes," said the cashier, who was probably the Proprietor as well, as is the case in many restaurants of this size.
"What is the basis for these arbitrary price revisions?" I demanded.
"We are updated of the latest price situation by our association every five minutes over phone. Of course, we have to pay a hefty subscription for this service that would cover the phone charges also but then we pass on these costs to our customers!" he said with pride.
He then looked at the telephone on his table with affection and said, "I wonder how I would have managed without these updates!"
Appreciating his fine gesture, I got up from my seat and walked to the cash counter. When I paid one rupee, the cashier said "ten paise more please."
"What do you mean? The bill is for one rupee. In fact, I was hoping to receive a discount from you," I said angrily.
"I am sorry, sir. We have to be not just up to date but up to time in these days of rapidly rising prices. So, we have a system of updating our prices every five minutes," said the cashier, who was probably the Proprietor as well, as is the case in many restaurants of this size.
"What is the basis for these arbitrary price revisions?" I demanded.
"We are updated of the latest price situation by our association every five minutes over phone. Of course, we have to pay a hefty subscription for this service that would cover the phone charges also but then we pass on these costs to our customers!" he said with pride.
He then looked at the telephone on his table with affection and said, "I wonder how I would have managed without these updates!"
He continued to stare at the instrument apparently anticipating a ring airing the next bulletin.
Hurrying to avoid another rise before I settled the bill, I paid him the additional cash demanded by him.
"You know, sir, in western countries, they get the rates updated every minute using a computer network but we, being an underdeveloped country, are lagging far behind," he lamented, conveying his frustration at his inability to collect a little more money from me based on the price revisions in the couple of minutes that had elapsed since the last bulletin was aired.
Far once, I considered the problem of underdevelopment a blessing and moved away cursing my decision to invigorate my system by infusing a cup of coffee into it, a decision that had proved to be reckless, leading to an instant lowering of my financial position.
As I came out of the restaurant, I noticed a boy updating the menu board with the latest prices, a sight which if I had witnessed before stepping into the restaurant would have put me on guard.
Even as I reconciled myself to what had happened to me and started walking a few steps away from the restaurant that had given me the experience I would have expected only a gambling club to give, I sensed something and turned my head back. Someone was coming after me. It was probably an employee from the restaurant coming after me to collect the difference in price as per the latest update that had just been received.
Perhaps, it was my imagination. But I didn't want to take any risk. I took to my heels.
Hurrying to avoid another rise before I settled the bill, I paid him the additional cash demanded by him.
"You know, sir, in western countries, they get the rates updated every minute using a computer network but we, being an underdeveloped country, are lagging far behind," he lamented, conveying his frustration at his inability to collect a little more money from me based on the price revisions in the couple of minutes that had elapsed since the last bulletin was aired.
Far once, I considered the problem of underdevelopment a blessing and moved away cursing my decision to invigorate my system by infusing a cup of coffee into it, a decision that had proved to be reckless, leading to an instant lowering of my financial position.
As I came out of the restaurant, I noticed a boy updating the menu board with the latest prices, a sight which if I had witnessed before stepping into the restaurant would have put me on guard.
Even as I reconciled myself to what had happened to me and started walking a few steps away from the restaurant that had given me the experience I would have expected only a gambling club to give, I sensed something and turned my head back. Someone was coming after me. It was probably an employee from the restaurant coming after me to collect the difference in price as per the latest update that had just been received.
Perhaps, it was my imagination. But I didn't want to take any risk. I took to my heels.
(Written in 1989)
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