An evening at work ...

She walked in to find Shreya crying, no, she corrected herself, Shreya had just finished crying and was trying to calm herself.Her face was streaked with tears. She wasnt sobbing, so it wasnt the hysterical sort of thing, something she remembered perhaps, there was nothing about her that shecould connect to un-happiness of any sort.She went upto her and put an armaround her, the poor kid hadnt noticed there was anyone else in the room.She looked into Ananya's face to find a warm comforting look but also thefamous raised eyebrow which was the unspoken question. She knew that shedidnt really have to tell her, but it was Ananya. Anyone could pour theirheart out to her, she would listen patiently, not once interrupt till youget everything off your chest.Then she would tell you how to handle it ifthat was what you wanted or she would convince you that you had done onlywhat you could or something else, but you would always walk away feelinglighter and maybe with a smile too.
Ananya saw the hesitation on her face and knew that she would tell her whatwas wrong. She had come in to look for Shreya, no doubt, her presence wasbeing missed. As it was. they were running short of hands to help and sheherself was away.The hostess. The crowd was piling up and Jeevan wasnt thatgood at handling big numbers as Shreya.Ananya had just walked in afterparking her car and noticed the huge crowd waiting outside her restaurant.A couple of minutes later, she realised the cause and thats where we comeback to the beginning of this story.
There was no point in reprimanding her for being away from her post whenshe obviously was in some form of discomfort.She got her to take a chairwhile she took the stool next to it and asked her "What happened?What upsetyou?" The story came out in bits and pieces and as the girl started toreplay the events, she seemed to lose her control again and startedsobbing. Trying to soothe her and understand her garbled words, Ananya finally made sense of what had happened.
Today was a very busy day for the eatery, people thronged and generally didnot mind waiting an hour to be seated. Turned out that one of the patronswasnt happy with the seat that he had been shown to.He was a regular too.He had been outraged that after waiting for close to 45 mins and being aregular customer too, the staff hadnt shown him enough courtesy.He had beengiven a table in the smoking section.That for some reason he had taken as apersonal insult. He had come back and told her that he did not want theseat he was given, she not knowing why, tried to convince him. With histemper raising, he had told her that he did not want to be in the smokingsection, she had the line of customers in front of her to tend to and thisguy was talking to her in raised tones. So, she told him , "Very politely Ma'am" , to wait a few minutes and Jeevan would attend to him.Less than aminute later, he came back to her and started shouting at the top of hisvoice about courtesy, common sense . So, she told him to give her a coupleof minutes and that she would find him a table in the seating area of hischoice as soon as one became free.Nothing seemed to pacify the man and hekept screaming at her.Nothing abusive thankfully, but very rude.When she could not take it anymore , she had just walked away just in caseshe lost her temper and would say something to him that she couldnt take back.
"I'll go back now ma'am, I guess he would have gone away by now. I dontknow if the hotel has lost a regular and I am sorry about this Ma'am, I should have handled it better."
,"Its not your fault, I know you well enough to say that you have handledthe toughest of customers.This guy must have been something totally out ofthis world to have affected you.Not to worry. Now smile a little, gofreshen up and come back when you feel upto it. I'll handle it till then"and she gave her a big smile.
She hoped Shreya felt better as she walked back to meet the crowd. She tooka deep breath and told herself it was ok, you can handle this.Taking careof the details, the behind the scene work was her forte.She liked stayingin the background and observing what people wanted.Studying people, theirreactions, expressions, animated voices , all that was what she enjoyeddoing.She always tried to shirk away from facing people.And now, it had tobe done. As she walked back, she wondered who this guy was who had createdsuch a huge ruckus that had actually ruffled one of her best.Must be an oldgeezer probably uptight about smoking.Old world grandpa with deeply setnotions of how senior citizens are to be treated.She conjured up and imageof a retired military guy, bald with snow white moustache which isgenerally treated as a symbol of pride, walking stiffly and upright like hewas marching under orders.And laughed. She could imagine him towering over Shreya while she helplessly tried to convince him to wait for a couple of minutes.
15 minutes later, she was too lost in checking in on the service, findingthe right seat, keeping track of which tables were getting freed-up, whichwere in the dessert stage , so she could add them to the next openings, atleast now people were contained into the seating area and not overflowingonto the street.It would show the Banerjee's on the other side how good herbusiness was but she had always thought it was demeaning to have to standon the street in a queue just to eat food. And in the same tone, she triednot to let it happen at her hotel.She would have to open another branchsoon , she knew it but had been postponing it. The brand was in the making,it had good wishes of quite a few regulars, people came from halfway acrosstown too on special occasions, there was a lot of good will that she couldcash in on.There was the investment for that, she had to get the rightbuiling , she had to start scouting for locations, then there was the ....No, she firmly told herself, not now, think of all that later leisurely.Notnow.Almost waiting to break her chain of thought, if she hadnt done soherself, up next was a man whose face was a weird pink. She smiled at himand she made the usual statement "Good evening sir, welcome to Ananya's.Will it be just you or will someone be joining you?"
"Ah, you are a different one.Let me start from the very beginning. It willbe just me.I want to be seated in the non-smoking section." Pause."Is thatclear enough or do I have to repeat myself?"AHA ! so, this was he. She stood silent for a second before replying tohim. She was about to open her mouth when Shreya opened the door to comein, one look at the guy and she stepped right back out in that veryinstant.She laughed.She couldnt help herself, the poor girl had to choose that exact moment to come back, didn't she.
"Something you find amusing?"
She looked back at him, the ring of laughter still in her tone, and said,"Yes, you seemed to have scared Shreya, the hostess for the evening. I had no idea that someone who seems as congenial as you do would have that effect on people. As for your seating request, I am flattered that you like our place enough to have come back after that mini-show you had put on.