Sometimes I get asked about reasons for returning to India. Most of the times I cant think of any because I myself cannot put a finger on it. But one of the important reasons for coming back would have to be the variety of fruits I can eat in India. I enjoy Jambhul, Mango (Alphanso!!!), Guava (Peru in Marathi) and Karavande. I totally enjoy that stuff.. And, many people who know me well call me Khavaiyya. Any place that I have stayed for sometime, I know good eating joints there!

Few days ago I came across a hawker (I plan to ask him his name next time around) who sells fresh guavas at a specific location in Pune (Model Colony). I decided to give it a try once and I really liked the stuff he carries. He manages to get juicy, fresh and tasty guavas. Like a true Puneri he is around only between 11-1 everyday. If you are passing by DSK Toyota Showroom, you cannot miss him. Over the last month or two, I am one of his regular customers. I like the fruits so much that I simply hand over 100 rupee note and he returns me some cash – no bargaining (our chartered accountant wont approve of this, most probably). But I get good quality stuff in return – probably the best of the lot.

So, when I went there today, he was talking to one lady about the prices. She was complaining about the prices and said it’s farmers market and you farmers are earning a lot. At that moment, he made very sharp remark ‘If I was a farmer, I wouldnt be selling fruits in Pune’. He in fact mentioned that his brothers are not getting a job because they are of a particular caste. One of his brothers is a Mechanical engineer and will be graduating soon.

The comment by the lady has made me think about how she viewed the world around her. She will probably not hesitate to pay few hundred rupees extra for cosmetics but just a slight increase in rate for the fruit and she was extremely unhappy. Btw, those of you who dont know about the rates of guavas these days, a medium sized fruit would cost you about 3-4Rs (up from 2Rs 2-3 years ago). Thats not bad for good quality stuff. Well, I for one, dont mind paying extra if quality is good. And, oh yes – I also dont care sometimes, because I know I am lucky enough to eat such fresh guavas!!! In US, this is a luxury.