THE CROSSWORD
Oct 19 2007 | Views 1219 |
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Tags: salesman hungry crosswords graduate unemployed shoes Blogprint blogprintpen
Tags: salesman hungry crosswords graduate unemployed shoes Blogprint blogprintpen
HE bent down to look at the sole of his shoe and grimaced. It had worn thin at the big toe and pebbles were hurting the toe. He winced as he walked over the mound of stone rubble by the roadside. Tired and dusty after a series of interviews and the final futility of the ordeal, he wondered at the tenacity of the unemployed.
His daylong beat for a job had taken a heavy toll of his shoes. He was a science graduate without the extra qualifications usually required for a white collar job and he didn’t fit into a blue collar one, either.
I’ll settle for a meager salary; anything. This time I must he able to make it even if it’s adoor-to-door salesman’s job, he thought ruefully staring at his dusty shoes.
It was rather late but he didn’t feel like returning to his depressing hovel. A big neon overhead blinked at him vulgarly. He winked back and laughed -an unpleasant and harsh sound rather like a bark. At twenty—four he already felt like a washed-out fifty-four-year old.
I’ll settle for a meager salary; anything. This time I must he able to make it even if it’s adoor-to-door salesman’s job, he thought ruefully staring at his dusty shoes.
It was rather late but he didn’t feel like returning to his depressing hovel. A big neon overhead blinked at him vulgarly. He winked back and laughed -an unpleasant and harsh sound rather like a bark. At twenty—four he already felt like a washed-out fifty-four-year old.
The lights of a small hotel beckoned him tantalizingly. He was thirsty and exhausted. The pangs of hunger had long ceased to bother him because he was used to them. All he wanted was a cup of hot tea to see him through the night. Inadvertently, his feet dragged him towards the hotel. The smell of fried food, stale oil and sweat assaulted his nose. He stood near the entrance deciding on his next move. The last fiver in his pocket reassured him as he fingered it nervously with his sweaty palm. It had become limp from the long hours inside the trouser pocket. Still debating over the idea, his dilemma was solved by a stolid gentleman who jostled him towards the entrance.
He was relieved at having been spared the ordeal of making a decision. He needed the tea badly. Slowly, he took in the crowded restaurant, his glance sweeping over the tables laden with tea and snacks. He ran a moist tongue over his dry and cracked lips. A waiter carrying a tray laden with masala dosas bumped into him and threw him an ominous look while struggling to keep the tray from dropping. ‘Sir, why don’t you sit down?’ the waiter rebuked.
He looked around for a vacant seat, there was none.
I’ve saved my fiver he thought as he began weaving his wayback towards the entrance.
‘This way, saar’.
A fat, elderly waiter was beckoning him.
Reluctantly he followed the man towards the door, which boldly announced its privilege of being ‘Air Conditioned’, in big letters looping over each other. There were hardly half a dozen people seated inside. The majority of diners had obviously settled for the non- air- conditioned state outside.
I’ve saved my fiver he thought as he began weaving his wayback towards the entrance.
‘This way, saar’.
A fat, elderly waiter was beckoning him.
Reluctantly he followed the man towards the door, which boldly announced its privilege of being ‘Air Conditioned’, in big letters looping over each other. There were hardly half a dozen people seated inside. The majority of diners had obviously settled for the non- air- conditioned state outside.
What the hell? Might as well indulge myself, he thought, pushing the door open. He walked inside the room with his head held high and made his way towards a table at the far end. A middle- aged gentleman seated at the table was working furiously with a piece of eraser and a pencil, his brows knitted dangerously, a look of concentration straining his eyes.
The man threw a threatening look at the youth who was about to sit down at his table while the young man glanced at the newspaper lying on the table. The pages were folded and the black and white checkers of a crossword stared back at him. He sat down ignoring the glint in the gentleman’s eyes.
‘You are trying to solve the crossword, sir?’ he asked politely, trying to start a conversation.
‘None of your business.’ snapped the gentleman, without looking up.
‘You are trying to solve the crossword, sir?’ he asked politely, trying to start a conversation.
‘None of your business.’ snapped the gentleman, without looking up.
‘I
can help you solve it, if you don’t mind, sir. It’s been my hobby since a long time,’ the young man offered.
There was no reaction. A minute later, the grey-haired, bespectacled man looked up briefly.
‘My dear fellow, a crossword is not a child’s play’. Sarcasm dripped from the voice.
There was no reaction. A minute later, the grey-haired, bespectacled man looked up briefly.
‘My dear fellow, a crossword is not a child’s play’. Sarcasm dripped from the voice.
‘I know that, Sir. It just happens that I like straining my brain cells in different ways and crosswords are just one of those exercises. Sudoku is the other.’
‘You really think you can do this?’ There was challenge in the man’s voice.
‘I can try.’
‘Well, I will treat you to a coffee if you can get this one. I’ve got stuck at this word, and it’s blocking three others. Let’s see what you can do about it.’
‘what’s the clue”
The gentleman looked doubtfully, sizing up the young man seated across him.
‘A door that can fill with rapturous delight,’ he said, reluctantly.
‘How many letters’ asked the young man.
‘8’
‘what’s the clue”
The gentleman looked doubtfully, sizing up the young man seated across him.
‘A door that can fill with rapturous delight,’ he said, reluctantly.
‘How many letters’ asked the young man.
‘8’
Fingers drumming the table, eyes closed and brows knitted in concentration –‘huh-huh..’ —
The fat waiter intruded into his thoughts.
‘Order, Saar.’
The youth waved him away and snapped his fingers excitedly ‘entrance’. That’s it. Write that down and see if it fits’.
The waiter looked perplexed. The gentleman wrote hurriedly on the small blank squares — ‘yes, of course! That’s it’?’
He looked almost disbelievingly at the boy across the table.
The fat waiter intruded into his thoughts.
‘Order, Saar.’
The youth waved him away and snapped his fingers excitedly ‘entrance’. That’s it. Write that down and see if it fits’.
The waiter looked perplexed. The gentleman wrote hurriedly on the small blank squares — ‘yes, of course! That’s it’?’
He looked almost disbelievingly at the boy across the table.
‘Order, Saar.’ repeated the waiter impatiently.
The gentleman took over - ‘two coffees’.
Turning back to the youth with a glint of interest in his eyes, he asked — ‘Alright, now try this one - dash into the wrong lanes.’
’How many letters?’
‘Four’.
Once again the closed eyes and drumming fingers and then the answer ‘Elan’.
‘Damn it, you are a genius,’ exclaimed the gentleman thumping the table. He stood up and pumped the young man’s hands.
‘I’m Shetty. Ramanathan Shetty.”
‘Myself, Patil’, mumbled the youth, a little embarrassed at the volley of compliments,
‘You are just too good’.
‘Just a hobby, Sir.’
‘Fantastic, boy, fantastic, I’ve been laboring over this damn crossword for the last fifteen minutes and you’ve done it in just two minutes flat. I have been struggling for those two words for an hour now. What did you say your name was?’
‘I’m Shetty. Ramanathan Shetty.”
‘Myself, Patil’, mumbled the youth, a little embarrassed at the volley of compliments,
‘You are just too good’.
‘Just a hobby, Sir.’
‘Fantastic, boy, fantastic, I’ve been laboring over this damn crossword for the last fifteen minutes and you’ve done it in just two minutes flat. I have been struggling for those two words for an hour now. What did you say your name was?’
‘Coffee, Saar,’ said the waiter bring two steaming cups of the aromatic brew.
‘Get some samosa also, quick.’
‘Patil, Sir. Viren Patil.’
‘what do you do’?’
‘Nothing’
‘what do you do’?’
‘Nothing’
‘Heh, heh, nothing except the crosswords, is that it,’ said Shetty sipping his coffee loudly, with great relish. Now took at me. I own a shoe shop at the Bara Bazar. It’s a medium-size shop but it keeps me very busy. At the end of the day I unwind myself with these crosswords. Everyone has his own way of relaxing. Some smoke and some drink; some like to watch the soap and yet others read. My vice is the crossword. And I don’t see why I can’t spend some time or money to indulge in my vice.’
He looked for sympathy and the young man provided it immediately. ‘Tcchhh! Please sir, don’t compare drinking and smoking to this brain stimulating activity. Crossword is a very intelligent pastime; not everyone is capable of it.’
‘That’s what I tell my wife but she thinks I’m mad. She won’t allow me to do it at home. No peace at all! So, I come here and spend an hour after closing the shop. It makes me feel so good and intelligent. Have been doing it for years yet I get stuck.’
‘It happens to everyone, Sir’.
‘I take three newspapers, just for the crosswords. I feel I am entitled to spend a little for my hobby.’
‘Of course, sir.’
The samosas arrived, hot and piping. The aroma drove him to distraction. Without waiting for niceties, the young man began devouring them hungrily. Shetty didn’t seem to mind, his eyes were riveted on the crossword. ‘One thing about these crosswords, they are addicting - just like gambling and liquor and they can be really intoxicating. Finishing one gives me a real high.’
Patil concentrated on the samosas, noddinghis head.
‘Listen young man, why don’t you come here tomorrow at8 PM?’ We will solve some of the difficult ones; I have kept the cuttings of the ones I couldn’t solve. It’s better to do them with another person.’
‘Listen young man, why don’t you come here tomorrow at8 PM?’ We will solve some of the difficult ones; I have kept the cuttings of the ones I couldn’t solve. It’s better to do them with another person.’
‘Yes, yes, sure.’ mumbled the young man through a mouthful of the delicious stuff.
The two words ‘Entrance’ and ‘Elan’ had earned him free coffee and samosas in the air conditioned cabin, with promise for more. He laughed softly. His crossword had earned him something but the science degree, nothing.
The two words ‘Entrance’ and ‘Elan’ had earned him free coffee and samosas in the air conditioned cabin, with promise for more. He laughed softly. His crossword had earned him something but the science degree, nothing.
They walked out into the fresh air amidst friendly ‘good nights.’
The next evening, with the remnants of his fiver in the pocket, Patil swaggered in confidently and walked straight to the ‘Air Conditioned’ cabin, seated himself across the gentleman who was already busy with the day’s crosswords.
‘Two coffees’, ordered the gentleman to the fat waiter hovering impatiently around him.
The next evening, with the remnants of his fiver in the pocket, Patil swaggered in confidently and walked straight to the ‘Air Conditioned’ cabin, seated himself across the gentleman who was already busy with the day’s crosswords.
‘Two coffees’, ordered the gentleman to the fat waiter hovering impatiently around him.
‘A couple of masala dosas also. And be quick about it,’ ordered the youth.
‘What could this one be? Fuss before the right can be made worthy of worship’ — 8 letters’.
They worked on it furiously — ‘Temple’ — no not that. ‘Admirable — that’s 9 letters. ‘Adorable’ — that’s it'.
For the next one hour they solved all the intricacies of words, played with their imagination and sealed a bond of friendship based on common interest. The young man wasin high spirits.
‘What could this one be? Fuss before the right can be made worthy of worship’ — 8 letters’.
They worked on it furiously — ‘Temple’ — no not that. ‘Admirable — that’s 9 letters. ‘Adorable’ — that’s it'.
For the next one hour they solved all the intricacies of words, played with their imagination and sealed a bond of friendship based on common interest. The young man wasin high spirits.
‘So young man, what did you say, you do?’ asked Shetty
‘Nothing’
‘Oh, yes, nothing. You mean, you have no job?’
‘None Sir,’
‘Such an ingenious brain, and no job. Terrible! What are your qualifications?
‘Nothing’
‘Oh, yes, nothing. You mean, you have no job?’
‘None Sir,’
‘Such an ingenious brain, and no job. Terrible! What are your qualifications?
‘I’m a Chemistry graduate.’
‘Useless
stuff. It can’t get you a job. You should learn computer programming if you really want a job. Do a short course in software or hardware. Those things get you the jobs these days.’
‘But that’ll take time. What do I do till I master those skills?”
‘Crosswords’, laughed Shetty at his own joke.
The youth looked angry.
‘Alright, alright, don’t get so worked up. I won’t tease you’.
‘It’s alright. I wasn’t really angry, just frustrated.’
‘Look I’ll help you out, just because I feel you deserve it. No favour. Will you be a salesman at my shoe-shop? Think it over carefully. You’re a chemistry graduate, remember?”
‘Crosswords’, laughed Shetty at his own joke.
The youth looked angry.
‘Alright, alright, don’t get so worked up. I won’t tease you’.
‘It’s alright. I wasn’t really angry, just frustrated.’
‘Look I’ll help you out, just because I feel you deserve it. No favour. Will you be a salesman at my shoe-shop? Think it over carefully. You’re a chemistry graduate, remember?”
‘No
thinking over, I don’t want any thinking on that score. I’ll take it.’
the young man jumped up and grabbed the other’s hand. ‘I will be happy to work for you’.
‘I’ll pay you Rs. 3000. Morning 9.30 to evening 8 PM. You will, of course, get some commission if you make extra sales. Does that suit you?’
‘Of course, sir. Thank you, ever so grateful. I’ll be good, I promise.’
‘Don’t get so excited, young man. There is one more thing. I want an hour of your time after 8 PM, here, doing crosswords with me. I’ll pay you an extra Rs. 500 for that.’
‘It will be a pleasure, sir. When do you want me to start?’
‘Tomorrow itself. Why delay a good thing? Here’s
the address.’
‘Shoe salesman, vow,’ cried the youth looking down at his battered shoes, ‘now I can buy a pair of shoes for myself’.
‘No, you get a pair of shoes every year from the management. That’s you perk.’ Shetty’s eyes twinkled with mirth as Patil stood up and gave him a salute.
‘Anything else, saar?’ asked the fat waiter.
‘Yes, two more cups ofcoffee,’ ordered the gentleman.
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