The fish markets of Mumbai are ruled by the fisherwomen. The men normally go into the sea for fishing. Women manage sales and commercials. Kantabai is one such fisherwoman who has a fixed spot (kind of an open shop) in the "Bhaucha Dhakka" fish-market. It is the biggest fish-market in Mumbai. If you visit this place, you will understand the source of the metaphor 'fish-market' used for utter chaos and cacophony.
Kantabai sets her stall early in the morning with loads of Tuna (Kupa), Prawns, Seer Fish (Surmai), Golden Anchovies (Mandeli) and the heart of Mumbaikars, the Bombay Duck (Bombil). Although the market has both wholesalers and retailers, Kantabai is into the retail business. Which means that she has to deal with hundreds of customers before all the buckets have nothing but only fish-smell left in them.
Every time I visit her stall, I have seen her making jokes and laughing loudly on her own jokes. Once a customer said, “You are giving only two Seer Fish for 300/- “. On which Kantabai smiled and said, “Saheb, understand please. Three is an unlucky number.” Then he said, “OK, then why so pale and thin fishes?” Pat came the response, “ Saheb, they are dieting and also doing daily swimming exercise”, and she laughed out loudly on her own joke. Her regular customers don't have to speak too much on the price, or quality, they know Kantabai doesn't do 'bhav tol' or bargaining with them and charges reasonably. But that is not the case with the non-regular customers. And there are many such customers at this market. For them, Kantabai has to overprice first and then reduce to make them happy. They keep bargaining for less price and demanding for more fish, non-stop. Kantabai has to engage with these customers.
She has several tasks to do at any point in time. On one hand, she refills the display racks with fishes which keeps getting sold. On the other hand, she has to take the money and give back the change. She also keeps an eye on the boys she has kept for cleaning of sold fish before handing to customers. Kantabai gives the exact change, the exact quantity of fish and has complete control over the conversation with those bargaining customers. Then there are some local nuisances of the market to manage including the cats in uniform wandering around.
Once upon a time, observing the things around her, I asked Kantabai, "Don't you get overwhelmed? How do you get a single moment of silence (shantata), a breath of peace in the loud, chaotic market ?" On which, Kantabai replied with her trademark smile, " Saheb, shantata ithe aste (Silence is here)" touching her wrist to her head. That was my moment of pin-drop silence in the fish-market.
Kantabai replied with her trademark smile, " Saheb, shantata ithe aste (Silence is here)" touching her wrist to her head. That was my moment of pin-drop silence in the fish-market.
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