Kuala Lampur, Aug. 3 -- For as long as I can remember, getting a haircut has been more than a routine chore.

Since my school days, I have been visiting Indian barbershops. Even now, stepping into one carries with it a familiarity that is difficult to explain, as though something from an earlier time has quietly remained unchanged.

Outside, the familiar red, white and blue barber pole turns slowly, marking the entrance. As a teenager, I was fascinated by it, not knowing its origins, only sensing that it signalled a place different from the world outside.

Even today, that gentle rotation feels like an invitation into a space where time moves a little differently.

Inside, very little has changed. Hindi songs, and occasionally Tamil melod...