Day V in Bhubaneswar - India trip 2022

 So far, my days here are mostly like running errands in the morning, taking long afternoon siesta post lunch when venturing out of home in stifling heat and humidity can be energy sapping. Then hanging out in evening hours when the weather is lot more windy and pleasant. My son loves jumpy rides in 3-Wheeler Auto rickshaws on bumpy roads here, equating them to roller coaster rides on theme parks.

Every other day I visit the local HAAT (Flea or Farmers market) to grab some fresh, leafy green veggies - especially my favorite LEUTIA, KOSALA SAAGA (Local Leafy Greens) and DESI ALU (Yam). I have become the favorite of a middle aged lady vegetable vendor. I think she likes me for two things. Every time I buy vegetables, I don't do any bargaining and tell her to keep the changes when she returns me the balance. 

The first time I gestured her to keep the change, it raised her curiosity as she raised her head - putting her hand over her forehead to take a close peek at me through the sun glare. Every time she sees me standing in front of her mounds of vegetables, she hands me over the choicest pieces of DESI ALU and five bundles of SAAGA which she sets aside exclusively for me. It seems like I have become her favorite customer as I don't dishearten her.

Remembered this incident years ago during one of my summer trips to India. One fine morning I came to this same vegetable market to do some shopping and catch a glimpse of the milieu. No sooner I finished my purchase from a vendor than I heard someone shouting MAHADEB, MUNDIA (Salute, O Lord  Shiva. The venerable Bull is the ride of Lord Siva). I turned my head to notice a huge Bull sniffing vegetables hardly couple of feet from me. The mountain sized bovine acknowledged greetings by nodding its head while still happily munching the vegetables offered to him.

A man suddenly arrived on scene clad in LUNGI (A loincloth wrapped around the waist which can be conveniently removed for multiple purposes). Scratching his private parts in public (blame the hot and humid weather for that) he asked the lady vendor, ALO BAIGANA KETE NEKHA - "Hey, how much is the cost of the Eggplant" ? 

Then came a woman covered in rags, shouting explicit at another vendor who refused to part her with vegetables. 

She started cursing the vendor's whole family to die from BAADI (cholera, a killer disease of yesteryears but now defunct). She could have cursed her to die from Covid or Cancer as one has a better chance to perish these days from these diseases rather than Cholera. She also went on accusing the woman vendor of soliciting illicit relationship with her mothers and sisters. I couldn't understand why she didn't direct her anger towards her father and brother rather than mother and sister. Apparently we are a male dominated society where mothers and sisters are the butts of profanity and curse.

After being content from covering every member of her 14 generations with all her curses she finally relented. The lady selling the vegetables ignored her and went on shouting BAIGANA BAIGANA (eggplant, eggplant). I asked the lady vendor the reason behind the other woman's sudden outburst. Before she could answer my query, a man in loin cloth and unkempt hair told me "She is mad. No one takes her seriously". He sounded serious and logical.

As he walked away, the vegetable vendor started giggling. I asked her - "What's so funny about what he just said ? It was quite obvious that the woman didn't sound to be mentally sound". She replied, "Babu (Sir), this man just told you that the abusive woman is a PAGELI (mad woman), right ? " "Yes, I think I heard him loud and clear", was my reply. She continued giggling "Hee hee. He is no different. He is a PAGALA (he-mad) too." And he calls her mad. Hee hee hee. She continued giggling.

Now trying to make sense out of the madness surrounding me I swept off the beads of sweat from my forehead as the tropical sun was peaking right over my head. It was time to rush back home, far from the madding crowd. More later...