The first time I met Mr Rajendra Dabral, I was sitting in a café having a burger and a cold coffee with one of my good friends back then. Back then even going to café and having something was an adventure, we were young school students with a very limited pocket money.
Our neighbourhood was still in the early stage of development. There was not a lot around and many shops and restaurants just opened and closed due to little or no income. As kids we couldn’t travel very far, we lacked the confidence and the permit from our respective parents, hence our options were very limited.
This was the first café in the neighbourhood and we were quite happy when something new opened up. So, we were enjoying our time with a burger and cold coffee and this gentleman sitting on the table next to us was reading a magazine, on his table was a light brown melamine plate with a sandwich. He took a bite out of the sandwich and he spoke…
“This is great”
Both of us looked at him and he was smiling and then he looked at us and said, “try the sandwich next time”
We did try the sandwich next time and I am still confused as to whether it tasted better because it actually was or if it had to do something with him telling us that it was great. I will never be able to tell because someone else is now the owner of the café and the taste of almost everything there has taken a fall for the worse.
Back then when the café had opened, we had no idea that we had met its owner Mr Rajendra Dabral on our first visit. We realised this piece of information on our second visit when he was still there, this time behind the counter.
We were very glad he decided to open that café, it became quite a popular spot there, with school and college students hanging out there. We pooled our pocket money to go there often, mostly buying an item and sharing it.
It became especially popular because of Mr Dabral who would go around telling people about this ‘great new café that had opened’ with them being unaware that he was the owner and he was quite warm and friendly in his demeanour.
Mr Dabral also opened a restaurant later, as an extension of his café. It was also popular, a great spot to organise birthday parties and other small events.
None of us are aware of when Mr Dabral stepped away and for what reasons, we first got the hint of it when the restaurant closed down and the man behind the counter at the café changed as well. I still look at the café when I pass it on my way to market, it has lost what it once had. I won’t blame the current owner entirely, the competition is stiff now, but the old and popular have only grown unlike the once popular café which doesn’t feel as welcoming as it used to with Mr Dabral’s face visible through the glass door.
Written by Anuran Chatterji
Behind the Counters
Early Morning Memories 