Tall Man Bakes

The moment I entered, I realized he would be – a pain in my neck: literally. My 5 foot 2 inches looking up in awe at the 7-footer and his accomplishments. His smile was tentative, as if he needed time to assess my intent. My smile gave it away and we became friends for ever.

Located in Kodigehalli, Bengaluru, Tall Man Bakes is that – a bakery. A couple of white tables and chairs are neatly laid out, for the occasional customer who prefers to dine in. Behind that are large glass display counters, with handwritten labels. On one side is an exhibition of cookies – chocolate chip, red velvet, spritz butter, marble, jeera, and cashew. Luring you to the other side – colorful, fluffy, delicate icing on cheesecakes, chocolate and hazelnut brownies, lemon tea cake, lemon and chocolate tarts.

Behind the counter, you cannot miss the Man in question. The Tall Man. The Tall Man that bakes all those sweet treats and delicacies, and some. Pizzas and pastas are on the menu too. Sunil is the solo baker with one of his elves always in tow – his father Suresh or mother, Usha.

With a 3-year degree in Hotel Management and an international diploma in food preparation and culinary arts from the Bangalore Culinary Academy, he is well prepped for the job.

Sunil has always been the same, the tallest for his age. But he also has not always been the same. Today at 25, he is very articulate and engaging, extremely curious, and follows instructions to the T. Baking with consistency for gorgeous and delicious outcomes requires great attention to detail.

Usha is petite and is a woman of few words. I like to listen, she says. Listen to Sunil do the talking. There was a time when she spoke incessantly to him. That time has passed. “I love that he asks me questions, fights with me, has opinions,” she adds proudly.

As a child, Sunil was on track with all the milestones. Except one. Maybe two. He did not talk and did not make eye contact. He got your attention by nudging your elbow. Maybe three. He did not play with other children.

Usha has also not been the same. That was the time when Suresh’s job took them to Dubai. Sunil had three mothers in all, his two older sisters and Usha. In fact, he connected first with his sisters before he did with Usha. “To tell you the truth, I didn’t want to accept him as my child”, says Usha. “When we went out, I stayed behind and let the children in front.”                                    

When he was 1.5years old, a doctor diagnosed Sunil with autism. Things could improve, if you worked with him, he said. Speech therapists suggested talking to him in one language and continuing talking even if he did not understand. That was when Usha learnt to chatter ceaselessly.

With two daughters she was neglecting, little support for cleaning, cooking, and a child who needed undivided attention, Usha went into a depression. “I am glad I didn’t do anything stupid. I had suicidal thoughts,” she says, recollecting how she and Suresh were ’alone’ in this.

They knew Sunil was different, but not exactly how to deal with the difference. He went to a regular school and brought home daily complaints. His shouting became an issue, as did his occasional pushing another child. On examination, a neurophysician suggested his high IQ does not warrant a special school. “To this day, he hates the phrase “special needs,” whispers Suresh.

Usha did not follow what the doctor ordered. She spoke to Sunil in English, Hindi, Tamil. She pretended she did not understand his sign language. She told him the same “kaaka kadhai” (crow story) every day. One day when he was 4years old, she replaced kaaka with another animal. Sunil nudged her elbow and said “kaaka”. That was the beginning to an end for Usha. Every word he learnt went into a logbook. It was then that he first called her “Amma”.

Kitchen was his play room and first school. “No matter where we were , I found my way to the kitchen. I surrounded myself with pots and pans. When I was 10, I had a collection,” says Sunil with a twinkle in his eyes. A collection of pressure cookers, mixies and other appliances. The bottle of Prestige and Hawkins ‘cooker weights’ that only he knew to match. Phew, are they glad they indulged him by growing his kitchen collection. “He had no doubts about what he wanted to be,” says Usha. “Only we did.”

Today Sunil speaks perfect English, Hindi and Tamil. He was not very good academically, confer Suresh and Usha. “That is until we came to India.” Sunil was 13 at the time. Usha was diagnosed with cancer requiring immediate surgery. They came to India for a second opinion which proved the cancer was benign and surgery was not needed. The large family that came together during this difficult journey, was a huge enough perk to return to India for good.

Having studied in an “Indian medium school” and having had Indian neighbors, Sunil says he didn’t miss Dubai. “We even brought back the same furniture,” he smiles. But finding the right school was a nightmare. Between being bullied and abused, Sunil had many a sleepless night and so did his parents. He transferred schools a couple of times.

Arriving at The Art of Living School in Vidhyaranyapura was a game changer. The students, teachers, and Principal made him feel welcome. “They were a family, a second home for secondary school,” adds Sunil fondly. And Usha joined as a teacher. When Sunil spoke at his graduation, he left many wet eyes. Suresh, proudly adds, “The way he has developed, I can challenge any autistic child can become better, given a chance.”

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. But this one had more than an equal reaction. Relative speed was not an easy concept for Sunil, and he met with an accident while crossing the road one day. Suresh went full throttle on teaching him to ride a Bullet classic 350cc and a Mahindra Scorpio jeep. Sunil’s love for cars and specifications is for another article.

By now Sunil is very curious. “How many hours is the flight to the US? Many of my friends are there. Which airline do you travel by? How long are the flights? Maybe I should look for flights with lot of layovers”. That he is trusting to a fault is the problem. So, his father and mother have his back, as they all learn to navigate Sunil’s professional journey.

Usha can never forget the many people who have touched their lives. The Principal at DPS, Dubai who gave Sunil a chance, the doctor who encouraged her to talk incessantly, the mother-in-law who was a tower of support, and her own parents and brother. She has a special bond with her sister-in-law. Prema, a yoga therapist briefly took Sunil and Usha under her care. Yoga, pranayama, and meditation have done wonders for their inner peace.

For parents in her situation, Usha has this to say. “Accept it and half the problem is solved. Take it as a challenge. If you love your child, you can do it.” She also adds, if you want to put in 200%, it is important to “put on your oxygen masks first before helping the child.”

Sisters Savita and Shoba, a lawyer and a chartered accountant have done well. Sunil credits them with encouraging him to pursue a career in baking.

As I sit there talking to Usha and Suresh, Sunil is baking my special order of vegetable pizza in the kitchen, where some appliances have been made to order for his height. “What used to be my hobby, has become my profession,” he says. He fulfills weekly orders of cake to a local school for children with disabilities. Sunil’s master stroke – baking a 5kg layered cake for Guruji’s birthday, ordered by the Principal Mamata, The Art of Living School. What sells like hot cakes are Sunil’s Tres Leches. If you haven’t tried it, you will love it. Tall Man Bakes is open from 2pm to 10pm.

 

 

Tall Man Bakes

https://www.tallmanbakes.co.in

Vimleshwara Krupa

Opp Kodigehalli railway station

Virupakshapura, Bangalore-560097 Phone: 8217477893