The concept of salons, today, has changed quite a bit from the one that existed sometime back. Today, the salon business has become way more professional. Initially, salons were mostly home-based. Women who were passionate about grooming and styling and who had done a course in the same would decide to convert a section of their homes into a salon. And they were known to be popular only among people belonging to well-off families. I always enjoyed visiting those cozy looking salons where 'Only For Ladies' was very clearly highlighted. As a child who accompanied her mother, looking at the women around getting groomed, somehow, made me form a perception that all the ladies would be headed straight to a kitty party from the salon.
Reena's Salon is a salon located in Ghatkopar, Mumbai. It reminds me of the salons that existed some twenty years ago. Recently, the salon got revamped and all the latest equipments integral to a grooming salon were installed. What remains intact is the constant buzzing of the girls working there, sometimes keeping the clients entertained with personal stories and anecdotes, and at other times, arguing and indulging in funny fights with their owner, Reena. The equation between Reena and her employees looks like everything but a professional one. Those who don't know these women would be totally amazed to see the bond they share.
There is a television screen right at the entrance playing a Hindi soap to soothe the high octane drama that goes on in the salon during other times. While Reena is totally engrossed in watching the soap, one of the girls named Priya goes up to her saying, ''Aunty hand-shower mein garam paani kaise laate hai?'' Since Reena has her eyes fixed on the television screen, she does not reply. Two minutes later, totally distracted, Reena gets up from the couch to help Priya out. She complains to me how Priya and Rani, both her assistants have been disturbing her all through the day and how they have not even let her have a good chat with her daughter, who has come to visit her in the salon. I don't give a reaction and immediately turn to another client sitting beside me, who cannot stop smiling. Reena tells me that all her clients are used to her nature and style of functioning. The atmosphere is so informal and unpretentious that I feel they hate being professionals in a way that would force them to put on a mask and behave in a certain fashion. Suddenly, Reena points to a new baby shower that they have installed and happily talks about how she is expecting baby clients to start pouring in the salon, soon. Reena has managed to adjust the shower to hot water. She is teased by Priya for taking a lot of time to understand the working of the shower. Reena laughs away. And this time, even I cannot stop laughing. There have been certain instances in my life which have resonated so well with me that they fail to get out of my mind. My visit to this salon has been one such instance. At times when you don't feel anything, the atmosphere conspires to play on your psyche.
As I was getting ready to leave, I heard Reena losing her mind when she saw that the cap on a bottle of nail paint was not fitted well. When she enquired to know who was at fault, I, standing in a corner, mentally reached out to the one who would be at the receiving end of Reena's anger. In a fit of rage, the mistake-doer was given a piece of her mind and also a lesson in fitting caps on bottles along with a punch in the arm, like a mother would scold her tough-to-deal-with child. I was escorted to the exit. And all I was thinking was how a person like Reena, who was a boss, a mother and someone who was catering to the requirements of her clients and, not to forget, a television addict, all at the same time, managed to find absolute consistency in her approach towards all that she juggled, without any apprehensions. The dogs who greeted me on my way out were all over me and didn't see a stranger in me. I guess, Reena forgot to mention that even the dogs in the society were so used to her that, everyone maintained uniformity in their behavior in and around Reena's Salon.
Reena's Salon is a salon located in Ghatkopar, Mumbai. It reminds me of the salons that existed some twenty years ago. Recently, the salon got revamped and all the latest equipments integral to a grooming salon were installed. What remains intact is the constant buzzing of the girls working there, sometimes keeping the clients entertained with personal stories and anecdotes, and at other times, arguing and indulging in funny fights with their owner, Reena. The equation between Reena and her employees looks like everything but a professional one. Those who don't know these women would be totally amazed to see the bond they share.
There is a television screen right at the entrance playing a Hindi soap to soothe the high octane drama that goes on in the salon during other times. While Reena is totally engrossed in watching the soap, one of the girls named Priya goes up to her saying, ''Aunty hand-shower mein garam paani kaise laate hai?'' Since Reena has her eyes fixed on the television screen, she does not reply. Two minutes later, totally distracted, Reena gets up from the couch to help Priya out. She complains to me how Priya and Rani, both her assistants have been disturbing her all through the day and how they have not even let her have a good chat with her daughter, who has come to visit her in the salon. I don't give a reaction and immediately turn to another client sitting beside me, who cannot stop smiling. Reena tells me that all her clients are used to her nature and style of functioning. The atmosphere is so informal and unpretentious that I feel they hate being professionals in a way that would force them to put on a mask and behave in a certain fashion. Suddenly, Reena points to a new baby shower that they have installed and happily talks about how she is expecting baby clients to start pouring in the salon, soon. Reena has managed to adjust the shower to hot water. She is teased by Priya for taking a lot of time to understand the working of the shower. Reena laughs away. And this time, even I cannot stop laughing. There have been certain instances in my life which have resonated so well with me that they fail to get out of my mind. My visit to this salon has been one such instance. At times when you don't feel anything, the atmosphere conspires to play on your psyche.
As I was getting ready to leave, I heard Reena losing her mind when she saw that the cap on a bottle of nail paint was not fitted well. When she enquired to know who was at fault, I, standing in a corner, mentally reached out to the one who would be at the receiving end of Reena's anger. In a fit of rage, the mistake-doer was given a piece of her mind and also a lesson in fitting caps on bottles along with a punch in the arm, like a mother would scold her tough-to-deal-with child. I was escorted to the exit. And all I was thinking was how a person like Reena, who was a boss, a mother and someone who was catering to the requirements of her clients and, not to forget, a television addict, all at the same time, managed to find absolute consistency in her approach towards all that she juggled, without any apprehensions. The dogs who greeted me on my way out were all over me and didn't see a stranger in me. I guess, Reena forgot to mention that even the dogs in the society were so used to her that, everyone maintained uniformity in their behavior in and around Reena's Salon.
keep it up...
ReplyDeletesharing from heart always touch. ..
Thanks dear for sharing ...
Thank you! 😊
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