Let your actions do the talking
RECENTLY, my Pakistani friend Qasim came from London to meet me in Pune after nearly a decade. He runs a restaurant in Bradford that specialises in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Mughlai dishes like murgh musallam, Sikandari raan, chappli kabaab, mutton karahi, roush and painda. He himself is an amazing chef and loves to experiment with cuisines.
We visited a famous restaurant in Mumbai that claims to serve authentic cuisine from the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and is frequented by showbiz celebrities, gourmets as well as gourmands. Since we had heard a lot about the restaurant and it featured among India’s top-notch Mughlai and Khyber restaurants, he ordered a succulent piece of Sikandari raan for himself and veg Peshawari for me as I’m a vegetarian.
The service was excellent. Within half an hour, the food was served well-garnished. Having spent his life in Abbottabad (NWFP) and England, relishing and preparing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Mughlai delicacies to perfection, my friend didn’t like the preparation. But as a thorough gentleman, he approached the manager and told him that being a chef and himself a restaurant owner, he somehow didn’t like the raan made by the chef. The polite manager said their chef was an ‘expert’ but conceded that he had just two years of experience in the field of Mughlai and NWFP cuisines.
Qasim said he would foot the bill without asking for concession, but being a veteran chef of NWFP cuisine, he should be allowed to give rare culinary tips to the chefs for making a perfect Sikandari raan, for which he won’t charge! The manager agreed after a bit of hesitation. Qasim entered the kitchen and gave invaluable tips to the chefs and also cooked a delicious raan bhuna for them. The manager was overwhelmed. My friend said it was his humble way to teach people how to cook.
As a spectator, I witnessed a practical approach and how some people lead by example. That was a lesson for me that will stay in my heart and mind. Like the manager and the entire staff, I will always be grateful to my friend for showing the utmost professionalism and perfection in a casual and friendly manner.
This reminds me of my interview with legendary composer Ravi, who gave music for classics like Waqt, Kaajal, Aaj aur Kal, Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Humraaz, Gumraah and Neel Kamal. He told me that whenever he found that his music assistants got a note wrong, instead of giving a lecture or getting annoyed, he would prefer to himself correct it. Actions always speak louder than words. Initiatives need no speeches, fanfare or showbaazi. Shouldn’t our politicians learn a lesson from this?
