Petrol and the ladyfinger

The ladyfinger could not stop crying. She, along with her green buddies, had been lying in the basket of the vegetable vendor for almost a week. Until yesterday, she was under the heap of other ladyfingers in the basket and she reached the top only yesterday.

She awaited some aunty to come and pick her so that she can get transformed into bharwan bhindi or bhindi fry. She dreaded the arrival of the restaurant guy who would eventually mix her with some oily masala to prepare bhindi masala. While that too is an excellent preparation, she knew that in restaurants people prefer the arrogant paneer over bhindi masala and that she would eventually be thrown in garbage.


Last evening, finally an aunty picked her up! As she was about to put the ladyfinger into the small tokri, she asked the vendor, "Bhayya, bhindi kaise diya?"

The bhayya avoided any possible eye contact and replied hesitantly, "35 rupaye pau kilo!"
The poor (or now rich) ladyfinger felt the pinch as the aunty dropped it back in basket from where she was finally picked!

What followed was a discussion between all the ladies who came to shop for veggies.

"Arre itna mehenga kaise ho sakta hai?"

"Kal to pacchis rupaye bola tha!"

"Arre petrol ke daam badh gaye na, abhi trucks waalon ka naatak hoga, sabzi toh aur mehengi hogi..."

"Problem toh hum logon ko hi hoti hai na!"

"Mehengaai toh badhti hi ja rahi hai!"

The aunty who had picked bhindi finally opted for 1 kilo aloo. "Aaj puri aloo hi bana leti hoon, bacchon ko bahut pasand hai!"

The ladies complained incessantly. The vendor didn't look at anyone and continued weighing aloo kaanda. No one cared for the ladyfinger who knew that now she would never transform into any interesting preparation. For once, she wanted the restaurant guy to come to her rescue. It's better to end up in oily bhindi masala than being thrown uncooked in the garbage bin!

Dear government, ladies aur ladyfingers ko mat rulaao, petrol ke daam ghataao!