Maar Gai Mehengai ....

Cut to 2010 when all the street corner vegetable Vendors have shut shops. No takers from them since the insignificant aloo is Rs.100/kg, the pyaz is Rs.150/kg. Tomatoes are considered fruits again. They are Rs.200/kg. Apples are for the Ambani kids only. Rs.1500/Kg. Mangoes are sold in exclusive showrooms and appear under the list of benefits in ads given by the dealers of BMW & Porche. Rs.8500/KG!
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Veggies available only at Mandi. A crowded vegetable mandi on a Saturday. Men jostling around for space bargaining for vegetables. A portly man loaded with bags of veggies takes out his wallet to pay the last vendor. A Tapori, so obvious with the red rumaal tied around his neck, a broken matchstick between his teeth, pants with 2 folds, is intently watching this tired, portly Shopper. The Shopper is finding it hard to hold on to the veggie bags and count the change. The tapori inches closer, watching the Shopper take out his wallet and count the bills. As the Shopper pays the bills to the vendor, the Tapori is within striking distance. He is watching the Shoppers every action. His eyes on the Shoppers hands, the open wallet and the bags. The Shopper gets busy haggling with the Vendor for the last few rupees worth of discount, already having shopped for more than 5kgs of veggies worth about 1200Rs. And just as he raises both his hands to keep the petty change inside the wallet, the Tapori strikes! Lightening quick! And is gone...totally merged with the crowd of busy shoppers.
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The shopper is stunned by the sudden strike. He can not believe that such a thing can happen in broad day light in a crowded market. A civil society it is and all his veggies gone in a flash!! With inflation at 43%, RBI raising the interest rates to 35%, fuel being given out at fair price shops once a month, vegetables supplied only 3months a year post monsoons, his Diwali isn't going to be much except lighting solar powered candles and purchasing recycled boondi laddus for his kids! What a waste of the special Vegetable Loan from Sahara Bank, India's largest private sector bank! All he can do is curse Mulayam - The PM & Manmohan - The FM.