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Mumbai… Always has story to tell…

Mumbai… Always has story to tell… This time, it unfolds a story of man who works as a coolie for living. He is not the regular coolie, with red shirt having registered number badge tied-up on his arms as we all see in regular railway station. He is one of fellow coolie laborer working at fruit & vegetable wholesale market situated near Marine Lines. Hailed from small village situated in Bashirhat district, West Bengal; very close to Bangladesh border; age 32 years, short height, wheatish complexion, lean body, uncombed hairdo, shabby brown shirt and blue checkered lungi.

It was pleasant morning with comfort atmosphere; I was ready for the day to start. Dad just checked with me whether I would like to accompany him to buy Badam-Pista biscuits for home and look out for mangoes from fruit market nearby. Yes, I was on road walking few steps behind my dad; looking around at newspaper being distributed within delivery boys on footpaths, taxi-walas washing their cars to sparkle, elderly man flowing tea flawlessly as well as artistically from one glass to another glass at tea-stall, kids hurriedly walking into school across, middle-aged couple having cup of tea together at balcony, each and every activity around was story in self.

Very soon, we were at fruit market and checking out with mangoes. It was almost after 5-6 dealers; dad finally found good bargain for really awesome smelling mangoes. Signaling a man for pick-up; dealer packed properly 4 dozens of mangoes in one big carton. Here was the place, He was standing in front of us with a very big tokhari (as we say in India). Initially, I was under impression that dealer was helping us to carry this big carton till outside of market which later on, I discovered from conversation between dad and him that it will be charged for carrying it till our hotel room. It was his way of earning; very similar to coolie laborer.

We were heading back to hotel; I was curious to know more about this man, impressed with Mumbai’s earning yearn and making people to think more for earning as well as amazed to see people’s hard work to make their life go on and on. On the way, I began to converse with him.

His ancestor origin is from Bangladesh; but before partition, his father chooses to be in India for better living. He was brought up in Bashirhat and never been to school. At the age of 7, he began to work at tea-stall; which later on years, he was forced to go city to work more and earn more for family.  He was just 10 years old, when he was working at construction site, earning a meager 25rs a day. His dad was not able to cope up with deteriorating health condition and passed away, when he was 12 years old. He had no choice but to surrender to his fate for working more to earn and support his family; his mom, two younger sisters.

Whole day, he use to slog himself at construction work and later on at night, he would work for nearby “Dhabba” cleaning utensils, table and floor for which he got monthly 500rs. This way continued for so many years coming on, sometimes he work at construction work, at times tea-stall, Dhabba, milk delivery boy, household chores, public toilet cleaning, garbage work at municipality corporation, gutter line cleansing and many such odd work so as to bring atleast 1000-2000rs per month at home.

He was determined to do any work, so as to bring home some more extra bucks which can support his family. He, in fact had done two-three jobs in a 24 hours given by god just to earn more than what he is earning in daily routine. Further, he laughed at himself and said “doing two-three jobs was making me earn 30rs more per day; regular income per day was around 80rs but doing these extra work I was able to earn 110rs per day” I was shocked and surprised. For us, 30rs might have no value and importance; but for him, it was 900rs per month extra money he was bringing home. He even said me that he use to pray god to make day even longer than 24hours so that he can do more job and earn more for his family.

It was hardly 4 months ago, he got shifted to Mumbai. His close friends and relatives who been here at Mumbai for years, advised him to come so as to earn more. He then said me about his daily routine. He wakes up at 4:30am and ensures that he reach here at fruit market by 5am early morning. Morning 5am till night 8pm, he use to stand with his large tokhari and do trips with heavy loads for customers.

Daily, he makes around 30-50 trips and does not bargain with customer for paying him. He accepts modestly whatever customer pays him in generosity. Some pay him 10rs, some 20rs, and some 50rs and there are some who don’t even pay him single penny, but he never argue for anything. He says, his average earning here would be around 350rs daily and that makes average 10000rs per month.

He has food only once a day; that is only dinner and has tea thrice a day. He sleeps at railway station and uses public toilet. He does so as to save as much money as he can. He need to get his sisters marry and then will think of his own. “Mumbai mai kaam aur paisa bahut hai par Mumbai mai rehna koi aasaan nahi hai; bahut mehenga hai aur sambhal kar nahi rahe tho Mumbai mai khud ke saath apno ko bhi le kar doob jaoge” (We have lot of work as well as money in Mumbai but one has to struggle hard to live life here. Mumbai is costly and so we have to live accordingly else it will ruin yours as well as your family life)

He is well satisfied as Mumbai is making him earn more than what he was earning at his native place. We reached at our hotel room situated at 2^nd floor; without any hesitation, he followed upstairs. Daddy handed him 40rs which he accepted with smile and headed back to his fruit market with his large tokhari.

He left but not his thoughts and life story which were still in my mind and heart. Simple smiling guy who took responsibility at very early child age, understand the needs of family, know his duties towards his parents and sibling, works hard and has no hesitation for any kind of work, modest, aware of struggles he have to face in life, very clear about his need and want as well as family need and their want, values the nature of life. His name is Tawazuhdin Sheikh. 

If u give a LITTLE LOVE, you can get a LITTLE LOVE of your OWN