The fame of one of the most popular book cafes in Shimla hinges on its "made in jail" tag. The newly-opened cafe, which is run by jail inmates serving life sentence, offers eatables and other products which, as the management proudly announces, are made in jail.To top it all, the notion of being served by jailbirds does not bother customers in the least. On the contrary, they appear to be intrigued by the idea. The ever-present crowd of patrons suggests the obvious lack of "happy hours". Many of those who visit the cafe once end up as regular customers and a stream of suggestions pours in.On a regular day at the cafe, Jai Chand, 49 and Yog Raj , 27, don chef 's hats and dish out orders with a brisk efficiency characteristic of professional cooks. Outside the kitchen, customers sit back amid the scenic environs, engrossed in books, pizza and piping hot chai. The chefs' life term at Kaithu Jail , is merely an incidental fact soon forgotten in the comforting aroma of fresh food. The location of the cafe at Takka Bench above the historic Ridge , en-route to the famous Jakhu temple assures a steady stream of visitors. The picturesque location, good food and the lure of books makes it a perfect draw for tourists. The library includes books by Chetan Bhagat, Nikita Singh, Jules Verne Sherlock Holmes and Robin Sharma.Subjects of environment, tourism and Shimla's history have also been covered.The cafe, which can accommodate 40 persons, has been built at a cost of Rs 20 lakh. It remains open from 10 am to 9pm.Besides tourists, the cafe also draws a number of local residents. Appreciating this concept of jail reforms, Shimla resident Nirupama Chaudhary has become a regular customer in the last one week. "On completion of their sentence, inmates can run their own cafe or restaurant, which will make them self-dependent in future," she said.However, she feels readers of newspapers and periodicals should also be catered to. "It is not possible to read books for hours.In case of hurry, we can go through newspapers and magazines while sipping tea or coffee," she suggested, adding that her favourite articles on the menu are pizza and burger.The menu includes tea, coffee, tomato soup, veg paneer puff, veg burger, cup cake, muffin, pastry, medium pizza, peanut cookies, cream roll and karara special, an improved version of hot dog. All these dishes are made in the jails of Kaithu and Kandaghat. Jakhu resident Ajay Sohan Lal said he has been a regular visitor since the day the book cafe opened. "This is the best place and even the concept is new. I can have coffee while reading a book, which, otherwise, was not possible in the library located close to this cafe," he said.Lal wholeheartedly supports the concept of jail reforms. "People make mistakes in life and everyone should be given the chance to repent and make a new beginning. Both Jai Chand and Yog Raj are very courteous and their service also is very good," he said.On his part, Jai Chand feels his role as chef makes incarceration a more humane experience. He has only completed eight years of his jail term but hopes to open his own book cafe on his release from jail. Going by the increasing business volume, people hope he makes it. "The customer base is increasing and sales are picking up. At the moment, everyday sales are between Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000.This is expected to increase in the days to come," he says.The way he handles his responsibilities shows it is not just a job for him. "This place matters. The cafe has given us a chance to connect with the outside world," he said.Yog Raj also said he loves interacting with people. He expressed gratitude to the authorities for giving him another chance and said he would make the most of it.

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