With Navaratri round the corner, I was scouting round for some ideal gifts for the invitees. What better gift than the big colourful bead malas exquisitely handmade by the gypsies, I wondered. And at no better place than Besant Nagar, to pick them up.
I was passing through the main road of Besant Nagar around 11.00 AM and stopped my vehicle at the spot where I normally noticed these road side shops. To my dismay I couldn’t spot the gypsy vendors. I got out of my vehicle to survey and was lucky to spot the vendor.
Noticing a prospective customer in me, the vendor, a short and stout gipsy, gave a wide smile and said, “I generally open my shop at 11.00 A.M. But today, being Friday, most of the ladies will be busy worshipping at temples and hence they generally turn up a bit late. That’s why I open my shop a bit late today.”
She then politely told me, “Sir. Would you mind waiting in your vehicle for about ten minutes, as I need time to open my shop. I do not want to keep you standing.”
I was very impressed on her emphasis on time, human psychology and customer relationship. I gave her a smile and stood at the place to watch her in action.
I found that her shop resembled a wooden container of dimensions 5’*4’*4′, slightly raised from the ground and held in place by four wheels. The top of the container was her display table covered by layers of plastic sheets, neatly held in place by jute ropes. About four feet above the display table, she had arranged an overhead cover for protection against ravages of the weather.
She started removing the ropes, skillfully rolling it on a stick. There were about six layers of sheets, which she removed one after the other and handed them over to her assistant, who folded them neatly and placed them on the roof of the container.
She then proceeded to unlock her container and brought out varieties of beads carefully stacked in trays. She spread a sheet on the footpath and said, “Sir, it would be easier for you to pick your choice, if I keep it on display here.”
Sundar Rajan, Chennai
