Entrepreuners at the bus stand

    Waiting for the office bus is what I do at twelve in the Noon every day. A year ago, I waited for the bus near the Subway in DMS. Now that the Metro construction has submerged the subway, I have moved to the big tree near the Teynampet Fire station. The big burly fire engine at the Fire station is always ready for action. Held at its tires by two small stones on a sloping pathway, the fire engine can jump to action with the ease of dividing fractions. The old bus stop had one thriving business. A fruit seller selling gooseberries and guavas. With the new bus stop, came new business men.

1)      A lime soda seller

 The Lime soda seller has a blue three wheeler with the price of lime soda advertised all over it. Why are all the lime soda three wheelers blue in color? Probably to tell us that lime soda is cool. I might get into trouble if I say blue is the coolest of all colors, what if I hurt someone's sentiment. Or may be all the lime soda three wheelers actually belong to the same person who had stocked a lot blue paint to paint his porch. Or to paint as Lord Krishna during a fancy dress competition that did not happen. It might even be a big brand without a name, a nameless brand marked only by blue color.  

2)      A tender coconut seller

The tender coconut seller is never tender to any of his customers. He has a head like a shaved coconut, and he behaves as if the entire place is his own. I once bought a tender coconut from him, and he charged me an exorbitant 40 Rs for it. Probably because "Illichavayan" is written in italics across my forehead. In spite of the hot weather, I never felt thirsty at the bus stand again. Come to think about it, it is far fairly priced than the coffee I stopped drinking so long ago at Saravana Bhavan.

3)      An underwear seller

  The most interesting business enterprise in front of a Fire station should definitely be awarded to this gentleman. This underwear seller has a great affinity toward reading and applying daily newspaper in his everyday life. He makes use of the newspaper for everything in his little roofless shop. Every day morning, he sweeps his working area, a ten foot square foot area just in front of that huge Fire Engine, and rolls out two layers of newspaper on the floor. Then he goes about displaying his goods, the macho underwear in unimaginable colors and patterns, the hankies with myriad flowers, and vests as colorful as rainbow.  But what fascinates me most is the value addition of the quotes on the underwear he sells? 

Pearls of wisdom on your ass.