Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2005 09:39:57 -0800 (PST) From: deepak salwan Subject: The Indian Butler CHAPTER 1 Getting a good job in India had become near to impossible because of its ever increasing population, that was now not very far away from that of the most populous country in ther world, and its neighbor, China, and especially for a hotel management graduate. This career choice was still being looked down upon in many of the small cities and towns in India, and where it was considered "not bad", there the hotels always looked for experienced candidates. The common people considered that on completion of a hotel management course, the maximum job that you could get was that of a waiter, which was considered a very degradable job because one had to serve. The job of a butler was far more impossible, as it was felt that the butler was a servant and according to the customs, being a domestic servant was extremely embarrassing. Although, in the metropolitan cities, the outlook had changed, and people had started choosing hospitality management as a career, but in the rural regions and small towns, such jobs were far from being good occupations. Girish was one such Indian, who had an absolutely different approach to life. He had studied, from the pre-school years in an all-boys school and was inclined to a hospitality-based career. His father, who was a renowned chef at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, New Delhi, (one of India's best luxury hotels) also encouraged him to do so. He wanted that his only son should be happy in whatever he did. Girish was a 24 -- year old tall, smart Indian boy from a well -- to -- do family. He had been an excellent cook when he was young and cooking was also his hobby, but somehow, he did not want to be a chef, maybe because his father himself was a renowned chef. He wanted to do something different, but in the hotel business only. He was not too much for working as a waiter, as that wasn't at all well paying to start with. So, one day, while glancing through a book on hotel management, his eyes landed on the job of the domestic butlers, which, when he read, he found out that they were very well paid and were in great demand in the many foreign countries around the world, thought not many were in vogue in India. He also read about an Indian who was a butler to the Prince of Wales and was having a very good career. Though many people considered this job like a "glorified servant", he did not have any such misconceptions. So, Girish had a talk with his parents and they agreed to his choice of future plans. Even he himself considered it as a good option, seeing his father do so well, in somewhat the same field and now was determined to go in for the course of Hotel Management. When he decided that he would go in for hotel management, and when the news about the decision of Girish, spread in the family (Indian families being rather huge and conservative), many comments and taunts started coming in. Some said that after being such a good student what was the need for him to go in for this profession. A few of them said that it was very servile to do such a job. Few considered it against the religion, they being Hindus etc., some said that it was foolish to get such good education and end up serving in a hotel and all such old-fashioned comments. Girish and both his parents paid no heed to the flurry of comments that increased as the news of Girish's choice of profession spread in their large family. All the arrangements for sending Girish to Australia, his visa, ticketing arrangements, admission in the hospitality institute, lodging etc. was made and he left India bidding farewell to his friends and family. Girish went to Sydney to pursue his three-year bachelors degree, and also a specialized course in being a domestic butler. He was an excellent student and topped in academics as well as the on-job training and the exam. He was one of the best in his batch. When he passed out, fortunately for him the Australian Tourism was in a boom period and he had a variety of jobs from which he could choose. There was a very rich businessman of Australia, one of the top five of the country to be precise, whose son, Michael, who till now had been pursuing his business management degree in the United States, had returned back home to Sydney. He had been away from home for a long time now, nearly six years and his father wanted that he would have his son looked after by the best people available in the country. During the six years, Michael had changed a lot, be it his personality, attitude, attraction towards people and the like. He had now started having a broader perspective in life, and as he had not come back to Australia even once during his course tenure, his father had no idea about his son and his preferences and priorities. As Girish had excelled in his course, he had been publicized a lot by the university as the best student of the year, and also one of the best ever. He had his pictures with a good amount of write-up about him in the hospitality magazines and also the career journals. Michael had read this news, while glancing through one of the dailies. He wanted that the best should work for him, as he was the best. He found Girish, the hospitality genius very handsome and tempting, thereby arousing his bisexual tendencies, (to say so) as he never much cared for girls and always looked forward to handsome chocolate boy type guys. He knew that his father was one of the richest men of Australia, and also that he loved him dearly and would be ready to do anything for his dear son. So, Michael told his father, Mr. Fleming about this wish of his and his father assigned his managers to find out about this man and tried to get him employed as his son's butler, not letting out the real need that he had and desired. After about a week, they found their man and contacted him. Girish was more than delighted when he was approached by one of the richest business houses in Australia for a job. He could not believe his luck that he was being offered a rather prestigious job on a platter. He could have never imagined this had he been in India, so he readily accepted the offer for the interview with his prospective master the following day.