Tales from a Travelling salesman

Tale of a traveling salesman No one wants to become a salesman by choice. People who fail elsewhere usually opt to be the salesman. I became one by default of my destiny. On a hot, dusty summer afternoon, desperate me cycled down for my first interview for a salesman's job and my fate was sealed. I began selling Lacto Calamine and Crocin pills at 22, traveling by deprecated buses to 25 remote towns of Saurashtra, meeting 200 doctors, and 300 chemists every month. I hated traveling because I had to move away from two of my dearest friends and one lonely girlfriend for those 25 days. But money was good, I needed it and frankly, at 22, whoever has heard fighting one's destiny! MBA degree I acquired was not much use as I continued selling textiles and garments. My travels continued. I was now boarding trains to Madras on a weekly basis. I often boarded a bus from Canannore in Kerala to Bombay, I stayed in a run-down hotel in Chandni Chowk in Delhi, all to sell or bu...

The Street where we live We live on a street called Shiley Rajan road. I wonder why they call it a road. It really is a street, narrow, cobblestoned, pothole-filled street. As quaint as Bandra streets come. I have been living here for the past 20 years. If my mother's gene persists then I will be living here for another 20 years. Hence the street where I live deserves a blog. The name of the street is indicative of the fact that it leads to the village of Shirley Rajan. Bandra is dotted with such villages reflecting East Indian cultures, art, architecture, and the food. While the rest of the Mumbai was ruled by Portuguese, Bandra was ruled by East India company and thus people here are called East Indians. As you turn the corner from the road going down from Pali Hill to Carter road, you will see on your right, a small eatery called Sun Shine restaurant. This is the gateway to our street. Before you even read the signboard, smell of fried rice waffles into your nose. Cur...

Deogarh Delights Deogarh is a small town as Indian towns go. The town -population 20,000-  is located 135 kilometers from Udaipur,  on the eastern side of the   Aravali Ranges   on top of a small hill. A small pond rests at its base. It is a typical Rajasthan town with dry earth, rocks, animals, forts, and warm people who smile at you for no reason.  An unenterprising traveler that I am, I would have never have visited this town on my own. I am an urban soul by choice. Give me throbbing metropolis any day as opposed to a small, silent town. But a dear friend was setting up a huge destination wedding there and I had no choice but to go. I am also a poor wedding participant. People gawk at me when I narrate my ultra-simple wedding 42 years ago.  Anyways, here we were, my wife and I, at magnificent Deogarh Mahal Palace, the wedding venue where we stayed. This was only a second destination wedding I was attending. But what I realized is th...