The Astounding Five

…he said, with a sort of a little derisive smile, “How can you walk down the street with all this stuff going on inside you?” I said, “I don’t know how you can walk down the street with nothing going on inside you.”

-Nelson Algren

I walked and stared. I observed and explored. I ate and breathed. I questioned and wondered. I did numerous things in Chandni Chowk that beautiful sunny morning until an experience with a shopkeeper made me feel that, that conversation was the first and the last of my whole day. All I took back with me that very day was only those five minutes spent in conversing with a strange but a dedicated shopkeeper who reflected honesty in his answers in uncertain ways.
I stepped into Chandni Chowk that day to learn and to kill my anxiety. I was curious. I was curious about the people residing here and working here, the kind of people that came and the many little things that went unnoticed. I wanted answers. I didn't want them from myself but from those who would know best and with the most authenticity. I began questioning random shopkeepers about their lives, their work, their sales and their opinion. Some answered kindly while the other few pushed me away.

When I arrived at Bhagirath Palace, the largest wholesale market of Asia, I came across a shopkeeper named Rahul Prasad who had been running a shop called Prasad Electricals for over 25 years. I introduced myself to him by telling him where I had come from and also the purpose behind my interview and questionnaire. He was amused at first that a girl studying fashion design was asked to do an assignment which was in no way related to apparel and glamour. He pushed me away at first and asked me to visit the “Nayi Sarhak” which was famous for apparel and embroideries. I pleaded him to help me out so he did.
I began my interaction with asking him about his personal life and about how he got where he got. He told me that this shop is an ancestral property, and that it had been existing in Chandni Chowk for over 40 years. He said that it was founded by his grandfather, Late Chandra Prasad and then took over by his father and then him. He expressed to me his wish to study, graduate and be successful on his own grounds but due to financial problems after his father’s death at his early years, he had to drop out of school at the age of 15 and take over from his father on unfortunate terms. My heart filled with tears while I listened to his story of struggle and felt like I was present there to witness it from the very start. I could see that he was getting emotional but that wasn't my intention. I wanted my answers but not in an attempt to upset anyone. After he recovered, I asked him if he got another chance of doing some other work now then would he be happy to do it, to which he replied very sternly, “NO!”, he went on by saying that now he was habitual to this environment and he had learned the techniques behind running this business and making good amounts of money to provide for his family, so shifting to another kind of work would take him a lot of time to get used to or even to connect with. His answer led me to another question which was about the kind of environment he strived in every day. He felt that Bhagirath Palace was in all a disorganized, congested and an extremely dirty place and it required a change that would work in people’s favour. On being asked as to what change would be appreciated by him here, Mr. Rahul said that campaigns should be executed in order to spread awareness among the people to keep their surroundings clean and to not litter. He also suggested that there should be proper sanitation facilities for both men and women along with facilities for a systematic process for waste disposal. He also felt that there was an urgent need for proper drainage systems because during the rainy season all the lanes get flooded, hence causing trouble in movement as well as damaging most goods in the process of transportation and storage.
I asked him about the variety in the products that he sold and also the demands for different products. He informed me that the demand for each product fluctuated with different seasons and occasions, like the requirements for fans increased in the days of summer while fancy lights were highly demanded at the time of winter due to the wedding season. In the midst of our smooth conversation, his phone rang suddenly, with a loud Bollywood song as the ringtone. Mr. Rahul addressed the caller as Sharma Ji and told him that his goods will be delivered to him well in time and simultaneously acted with his hands in an attempt to tell me to continue with my interview while he was in the middle of his conversation. I gave him a strange, blank look symbolizing that I wasn't very appealed by his idea and that I would only continue when he was through with his business call.
After the entire flow of my conversation was broken, I moved on with my interview by asking Mr. Rahul if he would appreciate it if the government decided to break down Chandni Chowk and gave it a whole new, modern look. Mr. Rahul in complete contradiction replied that every place deserves a new look, so does Chandni Chowk but at the same time the essence and the legacy of this place will be lost forever once it is. I asked him about what made this place should special and gave it an essence of heritage and legacy, to which he replied with a slight smile, “Everything in Chandni Chowk contributes in making it the way it is, all of it, from the people to the monuments to each and every shop, everything is precious.”  I saw him getting restless and impatient after these three minutes so I assured him that I wouldn't take more than two or three minutes of his precious time.
Further, I tried to ask Mr. Rahul about his daily income and earnings but I was prompted by him half way through. He refused to disclose the financial details of his business organisation but he told me that he earned enough to provide for a moderate livelihood and to provide for his family. He also informed me that he was determined to make his thirteen year old son go all the way through in the field of education so that he doesn't regret it like his father does when he grows up and so that he pursues a career of his own liking and by putting in his own potential and hard work.
That brought me to the end of my indulging conversation with a middle aged man who came up with the most impressive, and the most honest answers and the kind who I was keen on asking more questions to but could not due to the short time span. Of course, he was very happy that I was finally done but on the other hand I carried back with me a sack of stories, experiences and opinions all from that one person that I would not trade for a million dollars in the world. And I returned home feeling that the most memorable moments in life are the ones you never plan and this was one of them.

Life has many unpredictable moments, many paths and memorable times. So enjoy the surprises, explore new paths, and cherish the memories.

-Unknown