A barbershop experience

It started off as a nice non-sunny sunday. The tennis court wasn't crowded - we played best-of-3 singles games until only Saumil & I were left. We played a set that I (probably a first against him) won.
Tennis obviously doesn't allow for much talk, so we yakked like old women afterward - and finally ended up at the nearby Udupi place with hot vadas & dosas. I could open up shop selling dopamine from my brain right then.
Just as we were parting ways, he mentioned he was going onto a nearby barber shop for a cut.
It's not like I have specific styling preferences, but I've been going to the same barbershop since I was 12 years old. After the original barber drank himself to death, his son took the place and expanded it - so we know each other for 30 years now. 'Icon' has become 'Ikon-1' , 'Ikon-2' and 'Ikon-3' and is in multiple places now.
But lately, the place is pretty crowded - and sunday is the day of the metrosexual. It's filled with young guys getting facials, hair coloring, and what not.  For those of us whose only variation is 'medium-short' or 'short', the waiting and having to see all that is a little too much. 
"I too need a haircut" I said, which was an understatement. Saumil, the gentleman, just nodded firmly instead of "Yea, soon the dog catchers will be pulling you into their van".
"It's a simple place" he offered, " and they do a decent head massage. Now that it's almost noon, they're probably not crowded either"
That decided it, and we trudged along to 'Marshal Hair Salon'.

A seat was immediately available, and Saumil graciously insisted I take it. 
"Short" I said to the barber.
"Even the top saar?" he promptly asked.. noting the arid zone there.
"Medium-short at the top" I added hastily. He nodded and started.

Soon he started the conversation.
"First time, saar? "
I mentioned my usual place, and that I've been going there really long.
"They are relatives to the owner here" he said, consolingly. "Our owner's sister is married to the owner there". But also inquired softly "How come you are here, saar? Coming with friend? "
With his polite conversation on, I moved from apprehension to appreciation. He actually did a good job. Then finally, he took up the mirror to show his handiwork.
That's when I realized the value of my old barber.

You see, when you start losing hair at the top/back of the head, it rarely ever comes to your notice. When it started, a 'good friend' Ranjini took it upon herself to point it out - "Raj, I never noticed! You're losing hair on the top!" . Ungrateful me - I never ever thanked her for that.
But despite continual progress(?) up there, you fortunately don't see it unless you take up dancing in a place with mirrors all around. You go on with life thinking you're Anil Kapoor's long lost cousin. The day you've lost an easy tennis match, you might imagine a small coin sized spot.    
This here - a helicopter could have landed - safely avoiding the football team playing there.  And I didn't need to know that today. That dopamine shop just went out of stock right away. 

The barber went on with the head massage. In fact, the innovation he was displaying with the 'vibrating palm' (sorry, batman fans!) massage device was stunning. But like in a bad kannada movie, that football field and the mirror kept flashing back to me. I could even hear the sudden jarring synth chords in my head.
Maybe he noticed the look of horror in my eyes or maybe he wanted to show his shop was better - he went the extra distance with the massage.
"How did you like it, saar?" he asked when done - breathing slightly harder. I mentioned that I'd never encountered some of those moves before. He seemed pretty pleased.
The head thumping also probably did it's share to destroy some memory cells - I too was feeling better.

I got off the chair to see Saumil's guy still going at him with a steady 'snip snip snip'. These 'head full of hair' guys - barbers should charge them more. A sense of fairness is missing, clearly.