Cafe Echoes | Feature Friday by Houssup.com
THE
PERFECT SENSE
By - Prerna Kapoor
Photos courtesy - Mitul Sharma
Photos courtesy - Mitul Sharma
___________
“Speak with your hands, listen with your eyes!”
Lost in the hustle
of conventional mundane busyness, we, continually, tend to lose focus on the little
significant things in our lives. Submerged in the ocean of clans, who are accustomed
to seeing the world through their compact lenses, we drown in the expanse of
selfish needs, wants and desires. No matter how much we have, the advantages
and blessings we are bestowed with, they still don’t seem enough and we still
continue to yearn for more.
PROLOGUE
Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum are people,
put out of action, unable to speak or listen, who are always looking out for a
moment to untangle the lives of the complicated, jumbled souls of the world,
and more so, with a big smile on their faces! This is where Café Echoes steps
in and strikes an inspirational chord; a place that truly resonates with its name. A cafe managed by differently
abled staff, located in the far corner of the heart of South
Campus, Satya Niketan, has a breathtaking experience to offer more than just
amazing food.
Brainchild of five childhood friends, Kshitij,
Shivansh, Sahib, Prateek and Gaurav, all in their twenties, not knowing where
to commence was never a question unanswered. They believe that like everything
else, serving customers is a skill that can be taught. Serving them well,
though, is something that has to come from the heart. Speak with your
hands, listen with your eyes is the mantra for everyone in the café!
THE
INTERIOR STORY
Setting a foot on the other side of the deep blue mahogany door, at level one, everything and everyone appears as accustomed as they could be, until a highly courteous staff member greets you; with sign language and an extensive smile on his face. With every pin and hook laid down by the owners themselves, you, gradually, realize that the entire wait staff is differently abled and find yourself wonderstruck at the ease with which everything works flawlessly. The unpretentious, picturesque limewashed walls, ornamented with residue of wood, used in interiors, with alphabets and their representation in sign language painted on it, is captivating to look at.
With
the vibrant kitchen wall, exploded with distinct colours, overlooking the café
which has been designed to accommodate a maximum of 40 people, getting your way around is rather simple. The way the orders are conveyed to the
kitchen staff is praiseworthy.
A switch, at the back
of the vintage painted wooden furniture, is connected to beaming light bulbs on
the kitchen wall, which lights up when you toggle it to have one of the
servers at your table. A notepad is handed to put down your order on them (It’s
that easy!). Placards placed on every table reading ‘Water
please’, ‘Bill please’, and ‘Call the manager’ makes communication with staff
much methodical.
With celling adorned with overlayed
jute ropes with ornate decorations of glittering balls and experimental lights,
the aura is characterized by utter vibrancy. One may choose to sit on the
wooden chalk painted benches or on the floor couches, partitioned by laying
vertical bamboos, on the side opposite to kitchen. It may be a thoughtfully
placed playbill of Gandhi’s three monkeys, the tactfully composed posters on
the wall or the alluring feedback wall, this place will give you an
unforgettable experience to walk out with.
With their vibrant niches balcony, overlooking the bustling lanes of campus, this cafe might look like a usual add-on to the already popular cafés in Satya Niketan, but its essence in the conceptualization and the motivational belief behind it is, undoubtedly, different from the rest.
EPILOGUE
Hearing
is one of the body’s five senses, but listening is an art. The senses are the
window to the soul and in the exposition of Café Echoes, a happy, content soul.
Reframing their hymn, we shall speak with our eyes and listen with all our
hearts. When an ounce of practice is worth more than
tons of preaching, everything makes perfect sense!
An Effort by- Houssup.com
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