Online shopping, is by now, a daily, mundane ritual in every single household. Add a dose of Pandemic and you have all the more cartons and bags and boxes being delivered every time you blink or sneeze!!!
This is indeed, neither interesting to talk about nor any juice for me to write about.
Though what is fresh and juicy to share and write about, is how my mother and her gang of girls react to anything that has got to do with Shopping online, its related technology or technological developments!!!
Their definition is- this Tech (has)- no-Log-i-c!!!
She still feels everything has to be seen, touched, smelt, felt and also tasted even before the thought crosses your mind of buying it.
Convenience can take a walk in the park for all that she cares!!!
Her eyes light up when she sees the vegetable cart being pulled into the gate of our society by Raju the Veggie man!!!
The thrill of buying fresh ware can be gauged by the twinkle in her eyes.
Her group of friends would have by then completed their Morning stroll around the society, with one eye always on the Gate waiting for Raju’s grand entrance.
The moment one of the girls spot him wheeling in, they almost jump with joy.
It is a wonder that they don’t welcome him with flower petals strewn all over him as soon as he steps inside and maybe even garlands!!!
The next step in this process is to leisurely go through all the greens, whites, reds, purples and yellows that he would have tastefully presented on his cart.
The love and tenderness that they show towards all these little veggie delights is priceless.
The prices that Raju charges on the other hand, are not so much less-priced… they are very pricey!!!
I tried explaining once to my mother and her group of gangsters that the products we shop online on various platforms like Amazon Fresh or BB daily would be much more reasonable as compared to the vegetable carts. Plus there would often be offers or coupons which would further help us get our necessities at a much lesser price.
The looks I got from the gang is inexplicable. They almost jumped on and snapped at me at the same time.
It was time to defend their dearest comrade in green Farms…Raju…!!!
How dare I compare the incredible, heart stopping, jaw dropping and amazingly fresh greens that Raju’s cart carried to some sub standard, may be expired, stale lot that are sold on the so called platforms???
They even had their doubts about the platforms being hygienic and clean!!!
Later I realised that they were referring to Railway station Platforms!!!
They were under the impression that online platforms meant that the goods were sold on platforms, in the literal sense!!!
By now my sense and form had gone plat…I mean flat!!!
My next meek try was to tell them about the convenience factor.
The goods we bought on Amazon or BB would be delivered at our door steps. We don’t need to actually, physically go to the store or to the vegetable cart and lug them back home. And in the bargain, one could save and preserve one’s energy and time.
I thought I had them this time…they had fallen for my pitch- hook, line and sinker!!!
Instead, I got the MOTHER of all responses: “What would you do with all that saved time and energy???”
That left me flabbergasted, tongue tied.
It hit me so badly that I have now, myself, become a member of “Raju’s Veggies” WhatsApp group and club.
Moral of this story- I realised that however advanced and developed we, the new age, new millennium population may think we have become, there is still a section of people like my mother and her buddies who seek and find joy in the little moments of life.
The simple, yet routine act of buying vegetables and fruits, is in itself, a source of happiness for them.
The satisfaction they get after laboriously digging through the cart and choosing fresh items, the elated sense of achievement they feel after they have successfully bargained with Raju and he reduces a couple of rupees on the total bill, the chit chat every morning on the pretext of buying vegetables, the fun, the laughter…is invaluable, immeasurable, precious and infectious!!!
After all, life is comprised of nothing, but a set of many of these little joyful moments.
So, as amazing as Amazon and it’s offers might be, it is nothing compared to my dearest Ammi-Jaan and her delight, her excitement, her love for buying vegetables in her Big Basket, all by her physical self.
Raju, the Veggie man is the superman for my mother and her cronies!!!
Raju indeed ban gaya Gentleman!!!
And man, I gently refuse to complain!!! I see no reason!!!
My Ammi-Jaan is a rock star, even Amazon should send her a basket filled with bows!!!
