~ A Slipper Story...~

So, what could be a gratification quotient in one’s life, be whatever, you are cool as a cucumber and the daily ups and downs of living does not bother your – rather you have tamed your mind and your thoughts to not hinder your daily behavior and they actually don’t bother you anymore – alas! you can be described in a state of daily nirvana!

This can be no joke as I personally know a man – a roadside dweller selling Chappals (local footwear) and always having a smile on his face – He sits on the pavement with no placed fixed and owning a shop is a distant dream for him, certainly not in his lifetime as he himself says so, that too with no regrets but his bubbly smile, life seems to be at ease with this gentleman.

Just the other day, I happened to be near his temporary setup, I was waiting for the currency change I owed after I purchased vegetables from a vendor. Suddenly, I chanced upon him as he was smilingly negotiating a ‘deal’ with his prospective customer, as I could observed, he was trying to sell a pair of slippers for Rs 100, which was the best price he was offering , but the customer was not obliged to the price being offered, the deal was thus fixed for Rs 90, taking a loss of Rs 10, he was still happily packing the pair of his sell whilst he boasted about its quality and replacement if it does not fit the bill.

This happened right in front of my eyes as it was just a 2-minute saga, the customer went off and he started to arrange his products in a unanimous arrangement and thus waited for his next customer.

He looked satisfied and contended with his work, it was quite obvious, as the smile on his face was authentic and described his cerebral state of mind.

The whole scenario was a life learning, how can a street vendor sitting on a pavement and earning a daily miniscule amount be so much happy. His own slippers that he was wearing were almost battered, his tericot pant and a unwashed pale yellow shirt showed signs of dirt, but internally he was a happy soul, his face always gleaming with a loving smile. A small talk made me aware of his precedents…as he told me that he comes in a humble Atlas -black cycle which he paddles for about 10 kms daily before he comes to our vicinity to make a living – before that he goes to the wholesale mart to buy slippers on wholesale prices.

I could not resist saying ‘Hello Bhaiya’ and could not stop myself to buy an unwanted pair of sleepers, not that I was in dire need of one, but just for the sake of remembrance of that life learning moment. He taught me the mantra of life… Be whatever be your predicament, be happy and live each moment…

I didn’t ask his name as he had other customers lined up and I certainly didn’t want myself to impede his sales, may be next Saturday flea market, I shall be honoured to have a general chit-chat with him, till then I am selfishly waiting for that moment….