By Raj Lalwani, TwoCircles.net
Mohammed bhai is by far the oldest waiter in one of Bombay’s oldest Parsi cafes. He is originally not from Bombay, hailing from a small village in Jharkhand, but has now been in the city for so long that he does not really remember what ‘home’ looks like.
Having known him for over two years, I can say that he is the quietest and most contemplative amongst a group of largely boisterous waiters. “Kya karega baat kar ke, time waste hota hai,” he mutters under his breath. But this Ramadan, the few times I’ve visited the cafe, I’ve seen him to be even quieter than usual, during the period of fast. “Every year, I grow older and staying true to my fast becomes more difficult. Especially while serving all this omelette slice.”
TCN Series: Ramadan 1436