A Zen Approach To Gift-Wrapping

I had earlier mentioned Nandu in a different context. This last weekend Vasu dropped rode by, and one of the things I mentioned to him was our Man-Saturday (6 day week at Flipkart) Nandu and his approach to gift-wrapping.

Now we don’t yet have it up on the UI officially, but we do gift-wrap books as and when the occasion calls for it. Sometimes even when it isn’t specifically asked for. We get a mail saying “this book is a gift, so please make sure no bill goes along with it” and we comply as best as we can, throw in the gift-wrapping as well. Dressing up a box in fancy shiny paper is the domain of one man, Nandu Biswas. The modifier “territorial” applies here.

In the midst of all the chaos, Nandu creates a space of serenity for himself.

He sizes up the book, the box and the destination. If it’s Tripura, he will need to reinforce both the wrapping paper and the cello-tape holding it, he calculates. Will the gift wrapping paper match the colour of the book, he wonders, or should he choose another colour…?

He will then do the mental maths necessary … FSI, carpet-area, built-up … just as architects might. There are times we get requests at the last minute and realise we don’t have sufficient wrapping paper, but we apparently know nothing about it - if you ask Nandu his opinion.

That thing about craftsmen - look at a block of stone and chisel away everything that isn’t a sculpture - well, Nandu is a master at Tangram then. If you aren’t familiar with Tangram, here is an illustration. The Tangram bookshelves on the right are courtesy Italian Design Studio Lago / Daniele Lago

Imagine the 7 triangles to be 7 scraps of gift wrapping paper and he will still try and create something near as elegant. There’s no such thing as “almost well-done” with Nandu. 90% done isn’t well done at all. 100% is.

All things have to be done, all things have to done well … and all things have to be done well consistently. The Zen of Gift-wrapping is a lesson we witness every other day, but seldom learn.

The rest of us at Flipkart can only stand back and appreciate.