Imagine a
life where the only responsibility you have, even if for a few weeks, is to buy
seasonal fruits from the market while returning home. This started when I
got my first job in 2005. Although earning, I was not expected to contribute
anything at home. So I started buying fruits on my way back, as much as I
desired for the entire family (although I always ate the lion's share).
Kalojaam (blackberry), jaamrul (Java apple), lichu, safeda, you name it. I would
happily come home, two large bags of fruits in hand. With my
meager salary, I had never felt richer.
The trend
continues. No matter whether I am in a bus or taxi, I always get off at the local market to buy fruits while returning home. I get on my haunches and hand-pick
fruits. This time, I spotted a particular woman seller in between a bunch of
men. Being appreciative of this, I started chatting up with her.
"Kalojaam
koto kore?" How much? I asked.
"Ten
rupees for 100 grams." she said.
Fruit
sellers always quote prices for 100 grams here possibly because it tricks the
buyer into believing that they do not have to spend much. Kaalojaam, or black
berries are a close favorite after mangoes and litchis, and I have never found
these in the US/Germany. So when I ask for 2 kilos, her jaws drop, and she
gives me a 10% discount. I never haggle for prices, something that Ma and I
always keep arguing about. Ma's point is, sellers always inflate the prices
because people are going to haggle. My point is, if the price sounds reasonable
enough (most things do now, since my euros give me even more buying power), I
do not want to haggle with a poor man who is sitting in the sun and trying hard
to make a living. If one does not haggle at Pantaloons and Westside, why haggle
with fruit sellers? Those 10 rupees I save is not worth the kicks one gets.
So I
continue to buy fruits from her whenever I go out, and we chat up. Now, she
starts to watch out for me as well. One day, she gave me good quality plastic
bags for things I had bought from another place because I was not carrying a
grocery bag. The other day, she gave me a handful of kalojaams for free to chew
on as we continued to chat. Every time I put a few in my mouth, she would
choose a few good ones and place them in my hand. Who would have imagined
making a new friend at the local market over buying kalojaams?
She was thrilled when I asked her name. She was even more thrilled and
blushed profusely when I asked if I could take a picture of her. So she posed
nicely and gave me her best smile.
Grandma and
I have forgotten to eat other things, and have been happily overdosing on
kalojaams ever since, our teeth and tongues perennially violet in color now.
1 comment:
when we go out, my mom always insists to take a few cloth bags with us - smaller or bigger ones based on where we are going. even if we have no intention to buy anything. reason, just in case we want to buy from the street vendors, she does not want them to put it in a plastic bag. she wants to use only to use those cloth bags since they are environment friendly and can be reused by washing. now both my dad and me have got used to this fact. we don't take any plastic bags from anyone. we try to ask others to do the same but leave it to their own discretion. just thght would let you know. and yes i normally buy the jamun fruit when i travel back from office. there is something that we do in south india. my mom puts in a little bit of turmeric powder, salt and stirs this fruit in a kadai. i like this version of the fruit as well. :-) - Ramya
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