In India nothing is ever well defined and my recent trip to Pune for my brother's marriage brought forth several instances. Here's one which cost me Rs 350.
When I went for a haircut & asked how much they would charge for a facial, I got a reply "Aapse zyada nahin lenge sahab" meaning "We won't charge you much sir". And when I wouldn't accept this statement as an answer to my query, I was told "If we use sandalwood, it will cost Rs 180, if we use fruit it will cost Rs 250". I opted for the cheaper option and instructed the guy accordingly, but to my surprise after about 5 minutes, the fellow came up with a suggestion - "Aapke chehre ko bleach chahiye" - "Your face needs a bleach". The tone in this suggestion was such , that getting a bleach done was a most essential thing for me to do. And I almost had no chance of refusing. But more was to come. A few questions about me & he knew that I had come to India to attend my brother's marriage. So after my haircut, he said "Sir, your hair is not dyed properly. There's a function you have to attend, please allow me to colour your hair properly". He assured me that he would do it so nicely that it would appear natural etc. etc. He was almost playing on my emotions now and while I knew that he was going to fleece me, I relented & let him proceed. After everything was done, I had no option but to pay his bill of Rs 350.
