~ Market Glitterati ~

After ages, I have true honor of seeing our favorite flea market in full swing – Saturday are special days for all of us as we have been accustomed to seeing this flourishing market for more than five decades or so!

The market represents true mix of old and new and has been a cross cultural festival amongst all and sundry. I call it ‘cross-cultural’ as you will see people of all cultures buying and selling various items in all its traditionalism – from south Indian spices and to north Indian cheese and papadom's , you see yourself to be in a gifted place and can cheat yourself to a one time shopping spree!

 I have seen a major revamp of orthodoxy of this age-old market where second generation and even third generation of marketers have taken ground. In my juvenile days, I used to frequent this market for cheap plastic toys and tennis balls and even cricket bats which were quite affordable according to my pocket money , now that that the market has been bombarded with Chinese paraphernalia, it has taken an aristocratic shape. It consists of all sorts of items; you name it and they have it – From kitchenware to fruit and vegetables to the famous road side eateries - the famous ‘Chole Bhature’ and ‘Tickies’ to South Indian ‘Idli Dosas’.

The only thing which has been a diligent constant are the vegetable vendors; though they have also accommodated themselves towards fast changing times; they have started to sell ‘Chinese Ginger’ which is placed under Chinese LED lights. They have mastered the art of arranging various vegetables and fruits in an attractive fashion. You will observe tomatoes being extra-ordinarily ‘glowing’ under the aegis of Chinese red LED light – your eyes get captivating towards cleverly projected lady finger under razor focused green LED light – – beware, both of the temptations are illusion to your eyes which gets busted once you come home and see what you have bought!

At this stage of my life, the purpose of visiting the Saturday market has changed – now it is primarily for fruits and vegetables with an occasional demand from my kids to bring stationery items , though I still wait eagerly for Saturday market to come in full swing which had lost its sheen due to Covid restrictions.

Today being one of those lucky days, I had the honor of visiting this iconic market and meet age old hawkers who have been my permanent fruit and vegetable vendors. A general chit-chat with them after six months have been pulsating – enquiring about their wellbeing and vice versa has been satiating to the mind as I got to know that everyone was safe and sound, though a big pain was significant drop in their day to day earnings, but still they were happy to repeat this idiom “ Health is wealth, we can earn later in life , no problem!”  Their roadside wisdom has been acquired from experience they have had sitting on various tranches of life, first with their fathers and grandfathers and now themselves.

The happiness quotient they carry is far beyond the luxuries of corporate life – they have dreamy aspirations which makes them class apart from regular rigmarole of life, they are not averse to taking risks and experiment in the journey of life – conversing with them sets your thinking apart, their charisma of greeting a customer is phenomenal so as their inviting nature. They bestow true spirit of entrepreneurship and have many ideas to reckon with – today after meeting them after ages, all I could say is that they truly represent the zeal of living life be whatever... they eventually become my role models and life coaches for the art of thy living...