Turning the Tables

Chhotu, table saaf kar. Mohit Sharma, 19 and a BCom student of Delhi University, didn8217;t quite expect to have to hear the line ever, but...

Chhotu, table saaf kar. Mohit Sharma, 19 and a BCom student of Delhi University, didn8217;t quite expect to have to hear the line ever, but when it did come his way, he put on his most professional demeanour and cleaned the table. 8216;8216;It was a once-in-a-blue-moon incident,8217;8217; he shrugs today. 8216;8216;At least in the metros today, waiting on customers is not considered demeaning. If it was, I wouldn8217;t have opted to do this as a part-time job in the first place.8217;8217;

Others around the table take a minute to absorb this, each perhaps wondering how they would have reacted in a similar situation. 8216;8216;It is nice to believe that times have changed, but we do encounter the 8216;Oy, waiter8217; look frequently enough, says Shivani Arora, 18 and a student of fashion designing who works alongside Mohit at McDonald8217;s. 8216;8216;In the few months that I8217;ve been working, I8217;ve learnt to classify customers in three categories: the very educated, the very rich and the riff-raff. But you8217;d be surprised, when it comes to their behaviour towards us, money distinctions don8217;t work.8217;8217;

At this point, Lavish Dhand, 20, joins in. Lavish says his ambition in life is to be a 8216;8216;self-made man8217;8217;, so after trying French classes, computers, fast-food joints and now Nirula8217;s 21, he is planning to shift to a call centre. 8216;8216;Whatever people might say, waiting on tables is a well-paying part time job 8212; eight-hour shifts bring in around Rs 4,000 every month. I don8217;t care what others think, because my family and I are comfortable with the kind of work I do.8217;8217;

The job description is actually pretty wide, covering the entire gamut from mopping floors, washing dishes, cleaning sinks and dealing with customers. 8216;8216;If our moms can do it all at home, why should it get the label of demeaning work if we get paid for it?8217;8217; asks Mohit. 8216;8216;Can you become a doctor without dissecting a body?8217;8217; joins in Irene Martins, 23, who is working at Nirula8217;s 21 after completing a computer course from NIIT. 8216;8216;Earlier I hated doing the sinks, but it8217;s a habit now, and a good habit too.8217;8217;

Nibbling on a guava, Shivani says, 8216;8216;I was also considering modelling for pocket money, but that proposal wasn8217;t welcomed at home. Anyway, I didn8217;t want to do something time-bound, since studies are my first priority now. I get paid for the number of hours I work, so this suits me fine. All one needs is a decent appearance and a working knowledge of the languages. For any other part-time job, I would have had to study or travel, but all you need is a two-week training to know your outlet inside-out.8217;8217;

And there are the positive spin-offs too: Shivani can whip up a cappuccino for her friends in 10 minutes flat! 8216;8216;It8217;s drilled into our heads: It8217;s all about taste, test it, if you like it, your friends will too,8217;8217; she laughs.

If Shivani and Mohit make no bones they are here for the money, S P Tiwari, 22, and A Varsha, 20, both of whom work at Nirula8217;s 21, are as clear they have long-term goals in mind. Both have hotel management diplomas, and both want to set up their own restaurants. And nothing 8212; peeling mounds of onions and potatoes, dirty sinks, uncouth customers 8212; will deter them from their plans.

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But Shivani is equally determined that after she quits her job 8216;8216;I wouldn8217;t want to serve anyone anything for the next 10 years, even at home.8217;8217; Was her experience that bad? She shrugs but that expression on her face says volumes.

At the next minute though, a customer walks in, and Shivani is immediately all smiles and courtesy. 8216;8216;It8217;s a part of our training,8217;8217; reflects Varsha. 8216;8216;Smiles cost very little anyway,8217;8217; adds Tiwari, action following words. 8216;8216;Even though we are told, 8216;Listen to your heart and you8217;ll smile automatically,8217; sometimes it gets tough, especially with customers who irritate one no end,8217;8217; says Lavish. 8216;8216;I have to consciously calm myself down and remind myself that the customer is kind.8217;8217;

That8217;s why, Lavish adds, 8216;8216;there8217;s this immense sense of freedom once I reach home. Once I8217;m back, I wouldn8217;t want to lift up a glass of water.8217;8217; For the girls, it8217;s slightly different. 8216;8216;I can8217;t expect my parents to pick up after me, but if there are servants around, it8217;s different,8217;8217; says Varsha. 8216;8216;I was such a brat earlier,8217;8217; laughs Irene ruefully. 8216;8216;But this job has taught me to be patient. I try to listen more now.8217;8217;

Their jobs have also taught them to respect waiters, executives, crew members, as they are tagged in various establishments, they encounter as customers. 8216;8216;Even if they make mistakes, I never get angry with them, I just give them tips to do it differently,8217;8217; says Varsha.

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8216;8216;But perhaps the best thing about the job is that it gets boys to do things that girls usually do at home,8217;8217; says Shivani, looking directly at Mohit, a childhood friend. There8217;s a message there that escapes no one.