The first sign of rising prices and how serious it is, is visible.
No I am not talking about you having to pay more to get one kilogram of rice, provided you can get it.
You know prices are going to rise for magazines, when they go on a diet. The magazines start attending a good fitness centre and becomes thinner. The number of pages/ contents are reduced by 30% while holding the price. The magazine starts getting a leaner and meaner look. The justification being, our customers wont pay the increased price, not realizing that price is relative to the benefits.
Once you are through with the reading, you go out for a breakfast in a Udupi hotel. Here the inflation hits you square in the eye, oops!! in the stomach. It is a killer punch.
Not that this happened overnight. I have been watching the transformation for a while. The waiter came and asked me for the order.
"Give me a plate of Curd Hole", I said
"What?", he asked flabbergasted.
"My friend. you used to give Curd Vadas long time back. Then it used to be big vadas with a small hole. Now all i can see is a big hole with a small vada dough like an onion ring around it. Since the hole is bigger relatively, should we not be calling it Curd Hole?"
He walked away furious. I thought that the poor guy has been getting it from all the customers for a while now.
I got my Curd Hole. He asked me whether I required anything else.
"Give me iddly", thinking it is a safe bet
When the iddly came, I looked at it and queried,
"I didnt ask for mini iddlys. I asked for normal iddlys"
"But sir this is the normal iddly now"
Silently, I ate. What used to be good solid food has now become an appetizer. I wanted more,
"Ummm.........give me a A4 Dosa"
"Sir.............................", he was still polite.
"You normally give Ghee Dosa the size of a A3 paper. Of late, you have reduced it to the size of a A4 paper which is half the size", I patiently explained
He was getting really upset as other customers started nodding their head in agreement and it was bad for his business.
"Sir , dosa is not available. Only meals"
Having no choice, I ordered one.
When the south indian thali was served, I got up and went to the landphone and started dialling the number of the Police Station.
"What the hell are you doing?", screamed the Cashier
"I am calling the Police"
"But why"
"I want to file a missing person report"
"But who is missing"
"Couple of side dishes, sweet which used to be in the Thali are missing"
All hell broke loose.
I am afraid I am personna non grata in Udupi Hotels these days. So, don't ask me to take you there for a spot of lunch or tiffen
