No Fixed Menu!

One October evening, we decided to go for a drive in the nearby countryside in Gurugram.

While it is known as a corporate hub, there are several areas on the outskirts, particularly in the Aravalli foothills, which are simply beautiful. This was one such area.

After driving around for a while, we stopped for tea and snacks.

And this is what we found.

A small roadside shack with a rather interesting price list.

Tea – ₹10. That was okay, but Gas – ₹100 and Puncture – ₹30!

Amazing, isn’t it? Diversity at its best!

Curious, I struck up a conversation with the owner – a middle-aged, energetic, always-on-the-move kind of guy.

“Time hain toh sab kar leta hoon. Abhi toh ek cycle repair shop bhi kholunga!” I smiled.

Here was someone running a tea stall, filling gas, repairing punctures, and already thinking about what else he could do.

Real entrepreneurial spirit. It wasn’t just about earning more. At least, that wasn’t what stayed with me.

It was his willingness to do more. To stretch himself. To see possibilities in what was available rather than limitations in what wasn’t.

He didn’t seem particularly concerned about whether selling tea and repairing punctures belonged together. If there was a need, and he could meet it, why not?

How often do we create boundaries around ourselves?

What falls within my role? What am I supposed to do? What is beyond my expertise? What if I try something and it doesn’t work?

Some of these boundaries are necessary. But sometimes, we become so comfortable within them that we stop exploring what else we might be capable of.

In a country like ours, we come across countless people who demonstrate this spirit every day. People who experiment, adapt, learn on the go, and find ways to make things work, often without the resources or support systems that we take for granted.

Of course, for many, necessity drives them. But that doesn’t limit their initiative.

That evening was a reminder. Going beyond is simply about being willing to try something more than what we are already doing. It doesn’t have to be grand or extraordinary.