When a barber saved the day

Taru Bahl

Updated At : 04:12 AM Feb 14, 2026 IST

MY father is a typical fauji. A man of routine, lists and POA (Plan of Action). His meticulous lists have never let him down. He has never missed a flight and never reached late for an appointment.

He geared his life — and also that of his spouse and family — to fall in line with what he felt were ‘officer-like’ qualities. As children, we waited at railway platforms hours before the train’s departure, trunks with painted names in tow.

So, imagine my disbelief when he came to Delhi for a conference and discovered that he had forgotten to bring his razor. He had taken the morning flight, checked into a guest house with barely an hour to get ready and head for the conference, where the guests of honour were the chief minister and chiefs of the armed forces. Though he had a post-lunch presentation, his service protocol demanded that he be impeccable in appearance and reach in time before their arrival.

There was pandemonium when he found the razor missing. He called the housekeeping staff and asked if they had a spare one. They didn’t. He requested their errand boy to run to the market and buy one. Although it was a busy hour, they could not say no to the Group Captain. However, the boy returned empty-handed. The shops were yet to open.

Desperate to lay his hands on a razor, he swallowed his pride and called up a course-mate who was also scheduled to attend the conference. The gentleman, who had already reached the venue, burst into laughter. How could the course topper, whose example was emulated by numerous batches, possibly falter? Was age catching up? Or was he having marital trouble as a result of which his wife had refused to pack his overnight bag? In his heyday, dad may have shut up the nonsensical banter, but that morning he just pleaded for a way out.

“The conference inauguration is 30 minutes away and I am still in my shorts.” Nonchalantly, the officer said, “Come without a shave. You don’t have a wild growth. Besides, it’s trendy to have a stubble and frankly you won’t be court-martialled for this.” The humour was lost on dad. He quickly hung up as a brainwave hit him.

For the first time in years, he took a bath without shaving. He changed into the blazer he had worn since commissioning at the age of 19 and dashed to the reception. He had earlier noticed a car parked with a liveried driver. Luckily, the car and the driver were still there. He marched up to him, explained his situation and requested a drop to the nearest barber shop, offering an apology to the unknown car owner, just in case he came and had to wait.

A local barber was available; he did the needful and dad reached the venue just in time for the chief guest to arrive, releasing his benefactors’ car. A close shave indeed.

The writer is an independent journalist

When a barber saved the day

Taru Bahl

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