THAT WAITER AT HAVELOCK ISLAND

It was 6:30 of the evening ; when phone of our cottage at HAVELOCK ISLAND rang for the first time, since our arrival.

On the other side there was a guy from our hired travel agency.

Sorry sir ! for being this late ; your car is parked just under the portico of reception area , I am expecting you here only.

I made a lame excuse to my wife to go for shopping in the near by market and asked her to join me.

It was our 4th day at andamans . our days were being passed either on white sand beaches admiring crystal clear waters or voyaging through one island to another and evenings were spent on long walks by the beaches in cool breezes and firocious sounds of sea waves.

She knew eternity of our trip as we have planned it with mutual agreement.

But just to surprise her I have added some extra activities which our travel agent didn’t mention in there mail.

When you want something to happen , you try and you know when it’s going to occur, it’s nothing but a plan .

But when you want something to happen and it comes to your face at an unexpected hour, the same thing is named as surprise.

So tonight’s candle lit dinner was execution of a plan for me while it was a surprise for my wife ,

Over the years watching movies and daily soaps she had developed a feeling that candle lit dinner is a must do kind of thing and kind of obvious to keep love alive , thanks to idiot box and regards for silver screen.

Unfortunately we belong to the part of planet where we have this kind of ceremony only when the electricity fails.

As our car pulled over to a nearby beach , my wife got confused . in between driver came over and opened door for us .

In front of us were the infinite Indian ocean with toppings of multiple shades of red, pink and blue streaks in the sky.

They have arranged 10- 12 beautifully decorated tables on some reasonable distance. Well ! candle lit dinner is all she has wished for , I arranged sea side candle lit dinner , obviously I was expecting some extra points for that.

She came to tears !

Were she had known the amount of extra bucks I had paid for arrangement, she would have cried anyways.

Our driver guided us to the table and exchanged numbers , he advised me to ring 5 min before leaving ,he will be near by.

Just then a waiter with Chinese face appeared and introduced himself. I am forgetting his name . but can remember clearly that I made a joke that here must be a plenty of Chinese cuisine , he smiled innocently ,definitely sir !

By the way I am from Nepal .

I realized that it was a bad joke, he was brave enough to smile on the same.

There were couples on all the tables , most of them were young and seems to be on their honeymoon.

However there were enough distance between the tables for the sake of privacy, yet the couple on the table next to us seems to be more noisy than required.

I noticed that the man was drunk a little. by there accent I guessed they must be from delhi or near by.

Only then the waiter placed drinks on our table . my wife got panic . what is this bhaiyya ?

Oh nothing mam , just mocktail !

By the way this was not an answer we understand , she wanted to know if it was alcoholic or not. I was also exited.

I would have gulped both glasses of poison like bhole baba to save mankind if it contained .

He read our face and assured us that it was nonalcoholic refreshment drink.

She took sigh of relief and my heart sank. I looked over with envy in my eyes to the table next to us.

I noticed the flowers and the swans they made with towels are bigger than our table , he must have spent more than me. I believe that even candles were burning more happily on their table , ours seemed depressed.

That waiter offered that he can take photographs of us before table get filled with our dinner.

I took out my newly purchased DSLR and made some setting before handing it over to him, however after several attempts he couldn’t take clear picture of us. I was on verge of fret when he suggested that he can take our photograps by mobile as he was not used to DSLR’s.

Just then I realized that even after so many days I am not very good with this. We agreed.

Leaving our table he informed us that he also works as DJ till then I haven’t noticed that they have made a dance floor is on the sands. he invited us cordially and said that he will be happy to play whatever we wanted, he urged us more than required. I guess he loved to play music, and wanted some one to play for.

We dance a little on slow tunes but have to leave floor when that delhi couple took the floor. They took floor by storm , they danced on fast beats ,they danced like anything. In Indian marriages we all know some one, you have to make distance while dancing – for safety purpose , just like that.

By the time dinner menu were placed before us , that sweet guy was standing with a small diary and pencil to note down our orders. He asked us about our whereabouts our food habits and our preferences, then he guided us through menu (I have made joke of his whereabouts he admired mine , I knew a little bit about Chinese cuisine he knew most of them – he made me dwarf before him) There were four category of dishes and we can order two of each, means eight dishes, As per our package . we belongs to a malnourished nation so we do not have ability to digest this much in one sitting. They must have given option to parcel these to my relatives .

It was 10:00 pm already.

We left most of the food and was about to leave, then waiter came and almost whispered in my ear,

Sir ! no need to hurry , we are all here for you, all the night.

Please eat some more – you must have paid heavily for these.

Then the guy table next to us called him and asked to take some pictures of them with there sophisticated camera.

That waiter got busy with them after several attempts he couldn’t take the shots as that could be delhi guy needed.

He started abusing him, sa….., be….., It vouched that he was from NCR.

And that gentle waiter with a helpless smile offered that he can take very good pictures with their cell phone.

He came back to us and was satisfied that we have eaten most of the food. i asked him if he was OK?

I gave him a hundred rupee note ,He smiled.

We were waiting for our car as mobile networks at andamans are as rains in bundelkhand, only a few and at there will !

While waiting our car we talked to security guard about his whereabouts and came to know that he is brother of that waiter only , they belongs to a poor family in Nepal, he was very upset that he can not go to their village last month on his fathers death as tourist season was on peak, I asked him how much that waiter get ? he said 5000

My wife was very upset that why didn’t I said anything when that guy was abusing waiter.

I walked back to the waiter , he was clearing our table, he smiled and asked if I had forgotten something,

I had nothing but a 500 rs note and a credit card in my purse , I gave him money, he hesitantly took .

But that was not the thing I have returned for…

Did someone tell you, you are doing wonders?

You are one of the best man I have ever met,

And looking that delhi guy eye to eye ..

You are the best one I met , since I arrived here- this time loud and clear.