Continued from Part -I
The Grocery shop boy put my items in the car and I went to my car when the lady called me and returned me a 10 rupee note. I asked, what was that? She told me she made a mistake in her calculations and took 10 rupees more from me. I was so surprised with her honesty, an added inner beauty of her honesty. I thanked her and left the place.
Her allure was undeniable, a magnetic pull that left an indelible impression from the very first glance. With every step, she moved with a sultry grace that commanded attention.
Reaching home I was just thinking about the life of these hard-working persons, toiling the whole day in this heat and earning a little, but the middlemen are taking the bulk of the profit in the eyes of the administration who may be getting their cuts seating comfortably in their air-conditioned rooms.
In the heart of the bustling city, where the sun beat down relentlessly, there existed a lively market square. Here, amidst the vibrant colours of fresh produce, the vegetable vendors toiled under the scorching heat, their lives woven with threads of struggle and despair.
Every morning, as the first rays of sunlight bathed the city, the vendors would set up their humble stalls. The aroma of ripe fruits and the vibrant hues of vegetables would fill the air, creating an illusion of abundance. Yet, the reality beneath the surface was one of hardship and meagre earnings.
Among the vendors, an elderly woman named Leela stood out. Her sun-worn face told the tale of years spent battling the elements. With her weathered hands, she arranged her vegetables meticulously, hoping to attract customers in the sea of competition. Next to her, a young man named Raj, barely in his twenties, struggled to make ends meet. Each sale he made added a few coins to his paltry earnings, but the scorching sun seemed to burn away any hope of prosperity.
As the vendors tirelessly plied their trade, middlemen like Vikram hovered in the background. His sleek demeanour and polished words belied his cunning nature. Vikram had established himself as the link between the producers and vendors here. He bought the produce from the village producers at a fraction of its worth, promising convenience and access to a broader customer base. He also arranged for the local vendor like the lady to occupy the footpaths illegally due to his connection with the authority.
The government official, Gupta who is in charge of this place hardly visible in these areas and impervious to the heat, is kept happy by Vikram. Instead of aiding the struggling vendors, Gupta exploited their vulnerability through people like Vikram. He regularly gets his cut and fresh vegetables from these hardworking street vendors through Vikram and turns a blind eye to these vendors’ plight and no action is taken to make necessary arrangements for the convenience of the vendors and the public. The ordinary vendors, like Leela( the beautiful lady) and Raj, found themselves caught in a web of corruption, where survival meant paying a toll to those in power.
One sweltering afternoon, as the vendors wiped sweat from their brows, Gupta approached Leela’s stall. His eyes gleamed with greed as he assessed her meagre offerings. Leela, aware of the routine, nervously handed him a small envelope containing what little money she could spare. Gupta smirked, tucking it away without a word, and continued his stroll through the market.
As Gupta strutted away, Vikram sidled up to Leela, a smirk mirroring that of the corrupt official. “Leela, my dear, I’ll take the rest of your stock at a generous price,” he declared, feigning benevolence. Leela, exhausted and disheartened, agreed, knowing that resisting would only lead to further trouble.
Unbeknownst to Leela, Raj observed the entire exchange from his neighbouring stall. Anger burned in his eyes as he realized the extent of the exploitation. Determined to expose the corruption that stifled their livelihoods, Raj decided to seek justice for himself and his fellow vendors.
That evening, Raj gathered a group of vendors who had suffered at the hands of Gupta and Vikram. United by a common struggle, they allied with the shared goal of breaking free from the chains of corruption.
Their first move was to document the injustices they faced. With the help of a sympathetic journalist, they exposed Gupta’s illicit demands and Vikram’s unscrupulous dealings in a local newspaper. The story sent ripples through the community, sparking public outrage and drawing attention to the plight of the vegetable vendors.
Fueled by the support they received, the vendors approached a principled lawyer named Kapoor. Kapoor, appalled by the depth of corruption, agreed to take their case pro bono. Together, they sought justice for the years of exploitation and extortion.
The battle against corruption became a rallying cry for the vendors, and the winds of change began to blow through the market. The community, once silenced by corruption, found strength in unity and resilience. The vendors, once oppressed, now stood as a symbol of resistance against exploitation.
The city’s market square, once a battleground of despair, began to transform. With Gupta and Vikram removed from the equation, the vendors gained the opportunity to thrive independently. The sunlight that had once seemed harsh and unforgiving now illuminated a path of hope and change.
As Leela and Raj tended to their stalls, they could feel the winds of transformation blowing through the market. The ordinary vegetable vendors, once squeezed by the forces of corruption, were now sowing the seeds of a better future—a future where their hard work and dedication would be rewarded, and where the scorching heat of injustice would no longer cast a shadow over their lives. For the first time, I saw a smile on the face of Leela as she came to drop my bag at my car. (END)
Rajat Chandra sarmah
06/01/2024
Mail ID: rajatchandrasarmah@gmail.com
musingofrajat.wordpress.com 