No uncle, I don’t!

12:37 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
I have a grocery store in my locality. No wait, I have two grocery stores in my locality. I go to the super market type store when I have to buy many things; the monthly grocery shopping stuff. I visit the second one, the one in consideration, “Sri Venkateshwara Home Needs” for the day to day needs – milk, biscuits, Maggi, Haldiram’s namkeen etc...

The owner of the shop, I address him as Uncle, is a very kind gentleman. He always greets me when I go to the store. He is very welcoming. He always has a smiling face. His wife also monitors the shop when he is not around. They also have a helper.. he, too, is a very kind and welcoming man. They attend you so willingly that you feel like visiting the store again.

That day I was in a hurry. It was already late and I didn't have the energy to cook roti sabzi/daal chawal. I thought I will get a pack of Maggi, eat and sleep. I was dead tired. Though the store is at a 5 mins walking distance from my place, I went to the store on my Activa. I had just collected it from the Servicing center. But unfortunately, even after the servicing, it was having start up problem; some problem with the carburetor, for sure.

When I reached the shop, I din’t even turn off the bike, I just parked it in the area afront the shop and went rushing inside to ask for a Maggi. I was in such a rush that I skipped the greeting part and just demanded, One Maggi.

Suddenly, there was utter silence. I could see a change of expressions on uncle’s face. He looked shocked. He looked depressed. He kept looking at me for a few seconds. I couldn't understand why. He asked, “Single?” I said yea, single. Thinking, he is asking if I want a single pack. He still looked shattered and sad. He turned his eyes away from me, looked down, then looked at me again.. Finally, he uncomfortably handed me, something that I least expected, a Cigarette!

I was perplexed. I didn't know how to react. The very next moment, I burst into a loud, ringing fit of laughter!!! I reiterated, “One MAGGI uncle, One MAGGI!!!” The fellow customers who witnessed the whole scene, also started laughing! And then again, there was a sudden change of expressions on uncle’s face!! He said, “Ohh am so sorry, so sorry” and smiled. Then he happily went inside and got a single pack of Maggi. Now he was smiling wider!

Don't know how, but he'd heard, ‘One Mild’, when I said ‘One Maggi’. The expression on his face read, “Even you? Even you smoke? I didn’t expect that from you.

I am so glad that the answer to this question of his is NO :) And am sure, so is he!!

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