A staggered haircut

A slice of life from the desert kingdom

Have you ever had an haircut in two sessions? Nonsensical it may sound, but I have had one with a half-an-hour gap between them. Old habits die hard. The other day, I stepped into a barber shop when the Maghrib prayer call at sunset was given, and I contemplated for a few seconds whether to go ahead with the haircut or jump out — years of life in Saudi Arabia had perhaps inculcated in me certain Saudi values and customs! I hesitated because years ago, I had had an interesting experience in a barber shop in Alkhobar in the desert kingdom. I was returning home after work on a Thursday afternoon and saw my Indian barber from Kumbakonam in a relaxed mood. A haircut was overdue for me and I thought I would get it done. As I entered his shop, he warned me that it would be prayer time in another 10 to 15 minutes and there was hardly time for a proper haircut. As I was not very particular about the style and texture of my hair, I told him he could do a quick job within the available time; and the barber started his work in right earnest but could not finish his job within the allotted time. When the Asr prayer call went on air, he stopped work. As I was living in the adjacent building, he asked me if I could return after the prayer for the finishing touches.