The Stellar Sellers of the Streets

As a little girl, In The Bazaars of Hyderabad by Sarojini Naidu was one of my favorite pieces of poetry. I still remember listening in awe as our English teacher, Ms. Ayesha, read it aloud, weaving a vivid tapestry of colorful imagery in our young minds. I was captivated by the richness of detail and the beauty of the scenes she brought to life with her words.  

This little piece of writing is inspired by those childhood memories and was penned a couple of years ago. It takes me back to a joyous era—the 80s and 90s—far removed from today’s digital world. It was a time when gadgets didn’t dominate our lives, when children played outside with their peers, and when people had the luxury of time—time to talk to neighbors, enjoy nature, and simply pause and breathe.  

It was also an era untouched by UPI, GPay, Swiggy, and Zomato, when the streets were alive with the cries of vendors and hawkers, rather than just the honks of traffic crawling at a snail’s pace.  

How I wish our children could experience even a single day in that world—just to feel the simplicity, the joy, and the vitality of life as it was then.  

Haha!

I know I’m starting to sound ancient , but if these thoughts resonate with you, read on and allow yourself to journey back to that time…  

________________________________________

The Stellar Sellers of the Streets

Amidst the cacophony of sounds that emanate from the streets in India, the most prominent and interesting—or perhaps even the strangest—are the voices of street vendors or hawkers. The region’s very own ‘local’ entrepreneurs stroll across residential communities or localities in cities, marketing and selling their products.  

It is a ‘one-man show,’ wherein the vendor takes on the roles of advertiser, marketer, and salesperson, hoping to gather the attention of residents in multi-storey apartments designed like modern, concrete beehives. They create, innovate, and enact with theatrical flair, turning every sale into an impromptu performance conducted with ease and splendor.  

These vendors are undoubtedly among the fittest individuals of the human race. They walk countless steps daily, toil outdoors from morning to night, and bellow at the top of their voices to sell their wares.  

Sadly, their cries often get drowned out by the cacophony inside homes. The constant hum of televisions—entertaining viewers, present or absent—dominates, as does the grinding and crushing from kitchens, where tough ingredients are reduced to their finest form by heavy-duty appliances. Add to this the gurgling of water down drains, the washing of clothes, and the clatter of household chores.  

To hear the faint voices of vendors beyond these indoor noises, one would need a super-sharp sense of hearing!  

Yet, the vendors persist. They never tire or give in to defeat. Trusting in their voices, their efforts, and their skills, they remain motivated day in and day out.  

With whatever energy remains after a hard day’s work, they cry out their offerings once again to make their presence felt. Though the sounds that reach potential customers may seem garbled, unclear, or even nonsensical, they never fail to draw attention.  

For instance:  

- “Koh ees, Caa ees! Koh ees, Caa ees!” might be an ice-cream seller shouting, “Cone Ice, Cup Ice.”  

- “Su apti! Su apti!” could be a sweet seller offering the delicacy, *Soan Papdi*.  

- “Eeyuh, eeyuh, eeyuh!” might be a fishmonger calling out, “Meenu, Meenu, Meenu” (fish in Tamil).  

Despite how nonsensical these cries may sound, they always manage to turn heads. This knack for being noticed is their greatest strength—their patented “trick of the trade.”  

Once noticed, curiosity often compels people to step out of their homes or peer from balconies, scrutinizing the vendor and their wares. This is the vendor’s “judgment hour,” when they find out if their efforts have succeeded or been in vain.  

During this tense period, customers examine the seller, ask questions about the product and its price, and finally reveal whether they are interested or not.  

If the customer shows interest, the seller can breathe a brief sigh of relief—but only momentarily. What follows is the “HR Round,” where bargaining skills come into play. After a back-and-forth negotiation, the deal may finally close.  

And just like that, a sale happens.  

But for the vendor, the journey doesn’t end there. With renewed cries, they resume their mission, covering as much ground as possible before dusk falls.  

________________________________________

Image Credits : https://www.freepik.com