At the service station.

Unlike what it's on a usual Sunday morning, today I'd to get up early to meet up with an appointment at the service station. My Cruze was due for its first (and free) servicing and alongwith my man Friday, Bunty, we set off around a half past eight to our destination. Despite our early kick off, my vehicle could only be registered as the second and those boys at the service station were polite yet businesslike. And I was introduced to the young, ever smiling and bespectacled, Dinesh Surya who'd be my 'service advisor' from now on and shall be associated with my car thoughout its attachment to the service station! Dinesh quickly outlined to me as to what would be done on my car and as it was driven into the servicing bay, I moved into the customer lounge.

I'd brought with me enough reading material and no sooner had I begun to browse my newspaper when a youngster, around his late 20s, came and sat next to me. I'm not exaggerating but that boy was continuously talking to his friend into his cellphone for the next one and a half hours, regarding anything and everything - some stamina, that was!

Then, there was this well groomed lady who'd come in with her Cheverolet Spark and was generally critical and angry with all and sundry - and to my reckoning, for nothing in particular that I could visibly comprehend. And seeing my quizzical face, Dinesh quickly filled in saying that there were quite a few customers who were vain, proud and ill mannered. I was disappointed because the lady had really impressed me with her initial poise and chic!

And then there was this portly gentleman, with a generous paunch, who was continuously updating himself on the 'one day international' at Gauhati, from the television set at the lounge. He was particularly harsh on the Indian players who'd supposedly missed a big hit according to his calculations(he used some real colourful words from the Hindi vocabulary for the purpose) and the New Zealanders who took wickets.

As I bid farewell to Dinesh and drove out of the premises, I noted that I really did not mind the two and a half hours spent at the servicing station, that I'd be frequenting from now on. And Dinesh gave me the parting shot, by thrusting his business card into my hands and saying that I just needed to get in touch with him if I required anything - even a complimentary wash for my car. I've become one of his favourite customers. Well!!