The city of the NO

navinkurian2002

In the first of four exclusive extracts from “Maximum City: Bombay lost and found”, Suketu Mehta returns to his childhood city and introduces us to one of Bombay’s many aliases, “the Country of the No”.


The above quote rang true but one the incidents I experienced yesterday like so many other days .

Yesterday I wanted to buy a camera cover for my digital camera. So I went to Andheri station and saw some covers at a camera store for 265/- Rupees.

Me : Do you have any thing cheaper than these?
Shop keeper : No.

Then i went to the road side stall selling cheap cameras

Me: Do you have camera covers?
Stall owner :No

I walked to Andheri east and went to a photo studio .

Me : Do you have a camera cover for this camera .
Shop owner : No

I look at the wall across where the shop owner is standing and saw a camera cover in a box .

Me: How about this?

Shop owner : Yes that can be used . (haha that was so funny he says he does not have a camera cover and its in his store in the display shelf just opposite him.
ME: How much ?
Shop owner (asks someone else) 345/- Rupees
Me : Thanks bye .

Then I asked in a small stall where I saw camera in the show case . the shop keeper was no where in sight. Then I looked down behind the counter and saw him napping.

Me: Do you have a camera cover?
Keeper: No
Me: Any idea where I could find one?
Keeper :No but try a studio.
Me: Where would I find a studio here?
Keeper: I don’t know . (haha that was so funny he says try a studio but does not know where a studio would be located in his area)


I then walked over to Andheri west again . Over the over bridge (over the railway tracks)

There was a shop in the corner in a very small lane .Selling suitcases and bags. I though whats the harm in checking out this place.

ME: (looking around ) There are some pouches hanging over the counter how much?
Shop keeper : 80 Rupees
Me: How much for the other one?
Shop keeper : 50 /- rupees
Yay I’ve done it .This is when the lines from the book rang true
Its all about asking the right people and a lot of perseverance.

Have any of you faced India’s Great Wall ?The "No" "Don’t know" "wouldn’t know" "never heard of it" ?

How have you over come it ?

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It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare dream of meeting your heart's longing. Budget Hotels ]

mridula

No, I have not heard about any such thing

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mridula

http://www.gonomad.com/traveltalesfromindia/

Mapex

I was in a big town in Goa, looking for pop-corn kernels at the veg market. I went to the first shop (selling spices, dahl etc), he referred me to another guy a couple doors down, who in turn did the same ... this went on until I was at the end of the narrow street.

The last one sent me back to the first who admitted he did have them. He stood up from the drum he was on, prized it open and happily sold me 2kg.