Fazal …. Grace

I met Fazal last october at the local market …  He a fruit vendor like other vendors comes everyday early morning in his ‘petti auto’ sets up the fruits and stays there till 11 am. I, had been purchasing vegetables and fish , from this market for more than 5  years (I knew most of the vendors but kept her distance from most of them) So when I saw new fruit vendor, I decided to check, it was season of Orange and I asked him – ‘how much orange?’ 40Rs per Kilo replied Fazal .. reasonable I thought , ‘Ok , give me a kilo, but please do not put very big and green oranges’ I said … Fazal picked one and then smiled and said …’ You can pick which ever you want’ ….

I was surprised and was not sure if Fazal said that sarcastically or he actually meant it …I looked at him little puzzled – he smiled again and told me to pick which ever I wanted , I was happy to hear that and started picking, when I was done, I gave the oranges to Fazal … and asked him, you seem to be new here …. He replied that he is from Kasargod (North Kerala) and is getting used to Trivandrum. I then smiled and said , ‘no wonder you allowed me to hand pick. Shop keepers/vendors here usually don’t allow to touch their product’ while I took the money from purse, a poor lady came and asked Fazal for any fruit which was waste, Fazal told the woman that he has kept it in basket and she can take anything she feels she want from there ….another thing which vendors usually don’t do in Trivandrum, they wont give anything free even the things they don’t want they will sell (there are people who need waste for biogas) … I smiled at him gave money and said thank you …after that once a week I would buy fruits from Fazal …

Then about 3-4 months back, I observed  him and his ‘Petti Auto’ during my evening walk, on the MC road, we both looked at each other surprised and smiled - Every time when we meet, we do small talk, he tells me about different jobs he has done (from slaughtering to real estate), he updates me whenever he plans to go to his hometown, tells me about his business (Fruits to real estate), his plans of doing other business (furniture) in Trivandrum. He asks me about my kids and parents. And then one day he asked me to suggest any book (Malayalam) for him to read and get inspired, I told him I don’t (cant) read Malayalam books , but will check with my friends and get him one. … Then 10 days back I saw him at MC road with his mobile fruit shop, this time he had a big umbrella to shield him and his fruits from the scorching evening heat, was happy to see the umbrella as I could see he had become too tanned standing without any cover on the road side …  ..

I was seeing him after almost a month. When I came near I saw he had another partner, seeing me he gave me his usual big smile and I told him that I am happy to see the big umbrella he has put, and told him am sure when he went home his parents would have asked him what he was doing in Trivandrum to become so dark ! he laughed and said – that’s what precisely happened , and then I showed them my bank balance, they did not ask anything further, and I decided to get an umbrella … he then asked me about kids vacation and vacation plans, I asked about his business, meanwhile one man came looking for orange, I asked Fazal to attend him, Fazal replied he is regular customer and buys 1 orange every time for his snack, when the man asked for the rate Fazal said 10 /- for 1 (80Rs per Kilo), the man said its too much and that he will skp his snack,  and I said Orange season is almost over and it will now be expensive and realized this yet another thing which not many vendors do giving 1 Orange or apple … Every other meeting i discovered how simple and nice his dealing is with people around ..... that was probably one reason i bought fruits from him .... 

I then asked rates of other fruits, found them to be on the higher side and said, will buy next time when rates get little stable … Fazal then introduced me to his friend who joined him from his home town and was listening to all our conversation … I asked his friend’s name – ‘Lase’ (Lace or lays) I smiled and Fazal said yes it’s a different name , he then said – ‘ When I saw you coming , I told Lase that chechi (Elder sister) who is walking towards us , is one with lot of sneham (affection)’  I laughed loud and instantly commented – ‘Praise the lord, atleast somebody thinks I have lot of love and affection , I wish/hope my family/friends also feel the same !’ and I waved at them and walked smiling  and talking to myself …..  when you care for others and show affection to others it is but very natural that you see the same in others around .... and when you don’t have to pretend anything to anybody how easy it becomes to be likable ….