Indian Restaurant by CharlieBrown

---

Hi my name is Shoaib and one of the most embarrassing moment that happened in my life was the time I was forced to get my head and beard shaved. My dad owns an Indian restaurant which I work in as well as some of my cousins. Each of my cousins were in charge of making an entree. There were six entrees in the menu tikka masala,vindaloo, butter chicken etc. I was in charge of the preparing the buttered chicken. All of my cousins wore hair nets and beard nets so none of their hair would get into the food. I on the other hand found it to be a nuisance and would often refuse to wear a hair net and a beard net. One day a customer who ordered a buttered chicken complained that she found a hair in the meal. My dad apologized to the customer and returned to the kitchen with his eyes blaring, "Shoaib why aren't you wearing your hair nets? One of the customers complained that she found hair on her meal!"

"Sorry pa."

"You listen here, you need to put on a hair net and a beard net. If I get one more complaint that there's hair on the buttered chicken then I'll shave your head and beard completely smooth! Do you understand?"

I rolled my eyes and told him that I understood. Nonetheless I still refused to wear any hair nets. What are the odds that another customer would return their meal after finding my hair in it?

Over the next couple of weeks I continued cooking the buttered chicken without wearing any hair nets. My hair looked fantastic I didn't want to mess it up and look ridiculous with a hair net even though I was in the kitchen with the rest of my cousins who all wore hair nets. I always spent so much time and pride on my jet black hair which I swept back into a pompadour, in addition I always trimmed my beard with a number 3 guard and made sure it looked sharp. All of the sudden my dad barged into the kitchen, "Shoaib turn off the oven and come to my office."

My dad looked at my cousins and told them, "If anyone asks for buttered chicken tell them there will be a half an hour delay."

I thought it was kind of strange that my dad wanted me in his office in the middle of the day especially when customers are probably waiting to order some buttered chicken. I walked into my dad's office and sat down. My dad stood there in silence for a few moments before asking me, "Do you remember what I told you would happen if another customer complained about their buttered chicken having hair on it?"

I felt a knot in my stomach and began to stammer, "You... you told me... that you'd shave my head and beard."

My dad walked by his drawer and pulled out a pair of clippers while turning them on, "Another customer complained about hair in the butter chicken."

I stood up petrified as I tried to reason with my dad, "Pa please! I promise I'll wear hair nets!"

"Too late! I told you what would happen if one more customer complained about hair being in their butter chicken. Now sit down and face the punishment you brought to yourself!"

I didn't have a choice since working for my father was the only source of income I had so I sat down and tried hard not to sob as my dad put a cape on me.

"I knew this was a matter of time that this would happen again because of your petulant behavior. Now turn the chair around and face the mirror."

My dad turned the clippers on and placed it in the middle of my forelock and ran it down the middle of my head. The clippers cut through my hair like butter exposing rough stubble on my scalp. I took a deep breath as my father shaved yet another path from the front of my hair to the back of my scalp. My father took the shorn jet black hair and threw it in front of me.

"What a stupid boy. You think this is better than wearing a hair net?

I sat in silence as my dad continued to shave the remaining bits of my once perfect black pompadour. After my head was shorn into an amateur zero buzz my dad laid a firm hand on the back of my head as he shaved my beard off.

He uncaped me and told me to walk by the sink where he turned the warm water on and rinsed my shaved head and face. After that he rubbed shaving cream on my head and began scrapping the stubble off and then shaved the stubble off my face. He doused my bald head with after shave and began patting the alcohol on my bald head and shaven face. I meekly stood up and looked at myself in the mirror. I felt so naked and vulnerable without my hair. My gorgeous jet black pompadour as well as my beard had been all shaved off. There was only a faint shadow on my head and face which contrasted my tan skin. Although I miss my beard at least I was good looking enough to pull it off since I have a sharp jawline and strong chin.

My dad rubbed my bald head and told me, "This will teach you to wear a hair net next time. In three weeks you must wear a hair net or else I'll shave you again. Now go apologize to the customer who found hair on his butter chicken. I had to give him free tikka masalla so he could get over this incident!"

I sighed as my dad followed me out of his office and lead me to the customer who was enjoying his free tikka masalla. I felt like everyone was staring at my shaved head and face.

My dad told the customer, "Here's the cook who makes the butter chicken. He is shaven now and there won't be another hair incident on the butter chicken."

My dad nudged me to apologize to the customer. After I did the customer told me, "Come over here lad, let me get a closer look on your bald head."

I did what I was told as he placed his greasy fingers that still had some sauce residue on my bald head. I tried to maintain my composure as he laughed while rubbing his dirty hands on my bald head.

"Not a trace of hair on that bald head of yours. I can now order butter chicken without worrying about hair on my food!"

The customer and my dad laughed at my humiliation until a dumb little kid chimed in and said, "I want to touch his bald head too!"

My dad nudged me, "Go on let the child touch your bald head."

I sighed as I bent over for the kid to touch my scalp. To my dismay the dumb child licked his dirty fingers and began smacking my scalp. I quickly walked back to my father's office.

My dad opened his office door and told me, "I want your uncle to see your bald head come here."

I sighed and followed my dad into the break room where my uncle sat eating some Chicken vindaloo. My dad told my uncle, "Look who got a new haircut."

My uncle looked up dumbfounded at me, "Gangi is that you?" He began to laugh, "Where's all of your hair boy?"

My dad filled him in on what happened and they both laughed at me.

My uncle motioned me to come sit besides him, "Come come."

He dipped his naan bread in the thick sauce and finished his last bite before rubbing his hands all over my bald head.I tried to hold my composure before raising my voice at my uncle, "Can't you use a napkin instead of wiping your grubby hands all over my bald head?"

My dad was enraged at my back talk towards my uncle and smacked the back of my head hard. I winced and then he smacked the top of my bald head a few times. My dad asked my uncle, "What will be his punishment for him back talking you? Should I shave off his eyebrows right now? The choice is yours?"

I was mortified and begged my uncle for forgiveness, "Please uncle I'm sorry that I back talked you. I won't do it again. I don't want my eyebrows to be shaven! Please uncle forgive me."

My uncle thought for a moment before grabbing his leftover vindaloo and pouring it on my head. He rubbed the thick coating of curry sauce all over my bald head before saying, "You need to learn humility. Stop being a stupid boy. I'll spare your eyebrows but you will leave the vindaloo on your head for the rest of the day. Understood?"

"Yes uncle. Thank you for sparing my eyebrows. I will become more humble."

"Good, and when your hair grows back you will wear a hair net for your head and your beard, understood?"

"Yes uncle."

"Good, now go back to work."

I walked towards the kitchen dreading how my cousins will react to my shaved appearance and curry sauce all over my head. As I opened the kitchen doors all of my cousins stared at me flabbergasted. My dad walked in behind me and told my cousins, "This is what will happen if I see any of you not wearing a hair net. Your beard and head will be shaven. Now get back to work!"

The kitchen was silent as we all continued cooking. After my father left one of my cousins came towards me with a naan bread and dipped on my sauce covered head, "Hmm taste like vindaloo." All my cousins giggled without laughing too hard so my dad wouldn't think we're fooling around.

My greasy bald head absolutely stunk of curry. When it was time to clock out my uncle checked in on me, "Good I'm glad you kept the vindaloo on your bald head it would have been a shame if your dad shaved off your eyebrows. Now go rinse off your dirty bald head under the kitchen sink."

"Yes uncle."

"Oh and one more thing every day for the rest of the week you come to the break room after I'm finished eating dinner and I'll use your bald head to wipe my hands. Understood?"

"Yes uncle."

With that being said the remaining week was hell as all my cousins mocked me for my shaven head. Each day that week my cousins would smack me behind the head and say, "I like your cut G." In addition after my uncle would finish eating his curry he would wipe the residue of his hands onto my bald head similarly to the South African KFC commercial. After three weeks my beard grew as it was before and I had the back and sides of my hair tapered up. My hair was still very short as I sported a bald fade with about a number 3 on top but at least I look normal now. My dad walked in and told me my hair and beard is long enough to wear a hair net. I immediately did what I was told as I was told as I didn't want to be beardless with a curry smelling bald head. After wearing a hair net no one ever complained about their butter chicken having hair in it.

---