The Humans of the Car Market.

As the Car stood jostling for space with the Garbage, making sure it stood outside it & yet leave just enough space on the road- I met these humans of the market. All same, all different- all belonging there!!

The Sardar gentleman!! Not sure if a boy or a men. In his orange tightly tied pagdi. With a scrawny beard, flowing only so much at the bottom. Poker marked face. Not too tall, & with a flowing pink shirt- breaking the dullness of the colors provided by the Cars!! Indians certainly like their cars in whites mostly!! Carrying a Bottle with visible Blue Liquid inside, this person wants to show how the product he is vending can remove all stains from the car body. He is carrying his entire supply in a brown cloth bag on his shoulder, and by the looks has been carrying it forever!! His body seems to have arched itself permanently in a way that it looks a part of his body proper!! Oh, Yes and his big smile!! Clean white teeth too!! I did tell him that I did not want his product. However, the friendly chap stays there, making me aware of the cars coming in. He wants me safe. & then Helps let me know the instruction of the mechanic- as to when to start & stop the engine!! I had to tell him again that I did not want his product. He again told me that that is all right!! & when we left, he left too!! The broad grin unchanged!!

& then the Battery duo!! Sent by the Battery shop owner to check the car battery. Both kind of same people- also in the sense that similarly difficult to remember for their looks. In Clothes that must be some kind of uniform for all the market workers- almost impossible to take a note of!! What is remember able is the efficiency & concentration of their job in checking & cross checking!! Diligent, focused & very informed!! Where do they get all this information from/!! That the battery is part of the original fitting of the vehicle!! & that too from a good distance of 5 feet!! & when told to give their non adulterated opinion on the performance of the battery they replied to what amounted to “ why would they not!! If a new battery is sold the person who is going to earn is the owner, not them”!! They sounded earnest!! & among these was the guy who was giving away the ‘bhagwad gita’ to the muslim contractor with me!! Only that I know that both of them were muslims too!!

Then the survey guy!! He came in very quietly, almost slyly, from somewhere and told us that he was surveying!! Holding a wad of photocopied papers in his hand- pencil in hand. He was dressed in Grey. I mean in the kind of clothing that can only look grey!! A Swarthy skin & hair that were neither silver nor grey!! Yes, the teeth were white!! He wanted to ask some questions about the battery & our choice. On my saying that I had to go somewhere & had little time, he said he d wait for us to come back!! & presto, he was there when we did!! Well, the questions were kind of basic- and he had the answers scribbled on most sets!! On finding my answers not in line with his, he changed a few of them, Ever so graciously!! Wasn’t really bothered- except that he wanted me to ensure that in case his supervisor called I was to let him know that he did survey me for half an hour!! Well, I was the one who was short of time!!)