Ten minutes at the book binders...

The last step of getting a book bound, is putting it for a final press in a machine, not unlike the "clamps" that we used in our BDS Prosthodontics posting. The book is kept in a machine which has a lid. A lever is tightened till the lid fits flush on the book, and kept there for 10 min.

I reached the binders, Ms.Mahima Trading Co., a little early, so I saw this happen. Mr. Joshi (senior), Proprietor, asked me to wait, so that it would save me a trip later. I was there to pick up my Library Dissertation.

Let me describe Mr. Joshi for you. He is an average, nondescript looking man.. in his sixties. Almost completely bald and with a round face. But its when he laughs that his personality comes to life. Its a rich throaty chuckle, showing his red pan stained lips completely. I'm guessing he has very few teeth left in his mouth. Its the kind of laugh that brings about a smile in you, before you can stop it.

They say that sometime people just open up to you. For no reason. It happened then.

We were on opposite sides of the counter. He, on a small steel stool, me standing with my elbows propped up on the counter. The LD was firmly wedged in the clamp. Any other day, any other time, I would been listening to music on my phone, but that day, I strangely, I didn't.

" Do you eat mangoes? " he asked me.

" No, I keep away from them. A season full of mangoes @ one a day will easily set me back by around 4-5 kgs! ", I said. In case you dont know, I have this metabolism where ANYTHING I eat, directly attaches itself around my stomach.

" Thats absurd! " he cried, " Every single important vitamin is present in a single mango! Eat them in moderation, and nothing goes wrong...." , he said and laughed.

" I guess you eat them a lot? " I asked him.

His eyes lit up. " Oh yes, I eat one a day till August. There are about 7-8 varieties that I eat. Of course, summer is the best time to eat them, Bu I even eat them during the rainy season. Just a few slices though ." He chuckled .

He went on," My father was a big fruit lover. Way back in the fifties, he would buy seedless pomegranates , imported from Muscat at Rs.25 per pomegranate! That would be around Rs.500 today. Have you ever seen a seedless pomegranate ? We used to get small portions as kids. My father used to say, I don't smoke, so let me indulge in my love for fruits. This passion got passed on to me, and I have been eating mangoes ever since I was 8. And by God's grace, I don't have diabetes, at least till now. I'm 68 by the way.

The only time I fell seriously ill was in 1982, when my father unexpectedly passed away. He had a heart attack. That shook me up a little. My Grandfather first bought a shop on Laxmi road, even before it was called Laxmi road ! My grandmothers name was Laxmi. But then we sold it as it didn't do too well. My grandfather then bagged a contract with the College of Engineering, Pune, for all their binding work and we set up a shop near the hostel, right in their own campus. My father managed the shop till 1962, then I managed it till 1986. Then a lot of private engineering college opened up and in the political melee that followed, we were ousted. Then I came and set up shop here.

But I'm happy now, though I miss my swimming. I have swam in wells, lakes, rivers, even oceans. Swimming comes naturally to me. I still remember, how my son Nilesh swam for the first time. He was a mere 1 1/2 years old, and we were in the 4 ft section of Tilak Tank. I told his mother, just drop him in the water in front of me, I guarantee you he will be safe. And so she did. After he went down initially, he surged back up and saw me. And instinctively, he started paddling. I moved back, and kept getting closer. Thats what you call natural swimming.

He gave the throaty chuckle again.

But I quit swimming in 1982, as due to my father's death, I had a lot of blood pressure problems and my doctor said its time to stop. But I have no complaints with life now. I have gotten my two daughters married, both are in IT. Nilesh helps me look after the shop. "

Suddenly, he broke out of his trance an got up. He took my LD out of the clamp and after checking it, handed it over. I was speechless.

" This , is short, is the story of my life." he said. And he laughed again.

As I walked out of that shop that day, I felt strange. Why had he confided so much to a complete stranger? Was it because he had no one to talk to to? Couldn't be.
What had he seen in me ?

I felt strange, But nice in a weird way. Mr. Joshi now wasn't just a balding old man with an infectious laugh for me. He had a story.
And I knew it.