Feriwala

I was getting out for my evening constitutional when I heard two voices speaking in Nepali who walked past our house. Once on the road, I saw these two Nepali 'feriwalas' with bundles of blankets tied to their backs slowly trudging further up the road. As I walked past them a voice from behind called me 'Uncle ji ek kambal le lo.' I turned back.  One of the Nepali men said 'Thand ho rahi hai odhane ke liye aapko ek kambal dete hain.' I slowed down and he caught up with me.  We started chatting. For the first few minutes he tried to convince me to buy one of his blankets and when I steadfastly refused we started walking at a slightly lower pace and started talking about life in general. Bhim Bahadur and his son were walking back from a village about 15 km away he said.  When I asked them whether it was village A or village B he was impressed with my local knowledge. Where are you from he asked.  I told him I lived here. When he insisted on where my father was from I had to tell himm Kolkata. Then it was my turn to ask where they were from. He gave me a name and I asked whether it was near Mahendra Nagar our closest border. He told me it was 50 km there. They had brought these blankets over from Nepal where they had been made. The yarn came from China but then everything comes from China doesn't it, he said. Their Malik was Nepali and they had their stock in Haldwani, 60 km away. They would go from village to village to sell all the stuff they had got. It would take about a month. Today was not a good day and they hadn't sold any blankets. 

By now we had come to a steep climb and our conversation ceased. Once we reached the top they decided to sit down and take some rest They asked me to sit down with them but I  declined. My walk was still not complete. Bidding them goodbye I walked ahead. Just before I started off Bhim Bahadur asked me  once again to buy one blanket. For a second I was tempted.  But I realised that we didn't need any more blankets in our house, there were too many already.

Feriwalas are still quite a common sight in our village. One familiar figure of a Sardarji who comes on a motorcycle with a tall pile of plastic chairs tied to the pillion seat. There are quite a few households where I have sat on these distinctive brown plastic armchairs. There are itinerant bangle sellers. And the icecream man will soon be coming up on his motorcycle playing a tune to attract the children. Then there are people selling pant, shirt or blouse pieces. Another familiar sight are the feriwalas selling carpets. You can spot them from far away as they walk slightly hunched with long rolled up carpets tied to their back.

These itinerant salesmen are quite popular with the villagers. I know my slightly older neighbours often buy from them. One we saw a new carpet had been rolled out on the bed. He proudly told me that he had bought it from the feriwala the day before. It was a bargain. Our caretaker is also a very enthusiastic bargain hunter from these feriwalas. Once he asked me to come up the road to see the new folding bed he had bought. It was a bargain he told me. He had gone to our small village marketplace with four shops when he saw a man  on the road with 3 folding beds. It was the holiday season so cars with tourists and outsiders often pass through our village. One such car stopped to enquire about the price. The feriwala said 2000 rupees. There was quick bargain made for 1800 and that car went away. Seeing this one of the villagers came up and enquired. He was from the village so he wouldn't pay that much. A deal was struck for 1600. By now our caretaker was also enthused. They could do with a folding cot to sit in the sun on their terrace. He went up to the feriwala and said I will take your last one if you give it to me for 1000. The feriwala wouldn't agree at first but Devendra was adamant. Finally the feriwala relented. Devendra narrated this story as he opened up the bed on the road. Sit on it he asked me. It's strong don't you think. I lifted one end. It's quite light I said. That's good he said. We can easily take it in or lay it out. The girls will be able to do it easily. He was very proud with his bargain!