Month-end. Madhavi places a steel ladder to the loft, climbs to bring down newspaper raddi. 'Kadki hai, ma, dal Rs.200 per kg, aloo Rs.24 per kg,' she tells Rama. Dal-rice-aloo, the dietary minimum. A raddi walla from UP has a shack opposite Dharma Nagar CHS; she calls him up and then start a tussle over weight and price; both are sharp; raddi weighs 9 kg and Madhavi pockets Rs. 81 to last till July 1 when the salaries will flow in. Madhavi is not particularly delighted as she expected more raddi; she knows why; 'Ma, aaj kal woh mota paper nahin padtha hai,' she remarks referring to the absence of The Times of India in the raddi. Times of India with Mumbai Mirror yields Rs.100 alone, she claims and Madhavi is missing it. Lady is sharp. Rama subscribes to three newspapers: Mint, The Indian Express and Mathrubhoomi; a dietician's delight but not so for Madhavi. She is pushing Rama into buying The Times and Rama is pushing her back. She reads Kannada newspapers or rather glances them, but does not buy them. But then Rs.81 is Rs.81 in a cashless economy in the purse.'Ma,aaj idli aur smabhar bananeka,' she announces to Rama. Every morning, she folds the day's editions even before they are glanced at or read, packs them neatly on the loft. She reminds Rama of her days with her journalist husband, bare of cash always, month-ends, for years. In Dombivili, she would unload the month's raddi, month-end, to a bhaiya. It was a distressing rite, a routine, thanks to journalism; financials improved with the entry of foreign news agencies and salaries sky-high to earth bound offers from Indian managements. Recently, Rama told Madhavi of doing away with newspapers as Internet served news and scandals, juicy and readable. Madhavi protested strongly; for a week she made elaborate inquiries; if she did not sight newspapers on the table in the morning, she anxiously probed Rama. Her daughter is in Class 10, eldest son in Class 9 and second son Class 8. Madhavi needs cash as schools are not free anymore from Class 8. She works at many homes in Dharma Nagar CHS; Rama seems to be the lone newspaper buyer; others do not, done away with the habit.
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Raddi
Month-end. Madhavi places a steel ladder to the loft, climbs to bring down newspaper raddi. 'Kadki hai, ma, dal Rs.200 per kg, aloo Rs.24 per kg,' she tells Rama. Dal-rice-aloo, the dietary minimum. A raddi walla from UP has a shack opposite Dharma Nagar CHS; she calls him up and then start a tussle over weight and price; both are sharp; raddi weighs 9 kg and Madhavi pockets Rs. 81 to last till July 1 when the salaries will flow in. Madhavi is not particularly delighted as she expected more raddi; she knows why; 'Ma, aaj kal woh mota paper nahin padtha hai,' she remarks referring to the absence of The Times of India in the raddi. Times of India with Mumbai Mirror yields Rs.100 alone, she claims and Madhavi is missing it. Lady is sharp. Rama subscribes to three newspapers: Mint, The Indian Express and Mathrubhoomi; a dietician's delight but not so for Madhavi. She is pushing Rama into buying The Times and Rama is pushing her back. She reads Kannada newspapers or rather glances them, but does not buy them. But then Rs.81 is Rs.81 in a cashless economy in the purse.'Ma,aaj idli aur smabhar bananeka,' she announces to Rama. Every morning, she folds the day's editions even before they are glanced at or read, packs them neatly on the loft. She reminds Rama of her days with her journalist husband, bare of cash always, month-ends, for years. In Dombivili, she would unload the month's raddi, month-end, to a bhaiya. It was a distressing rite, a routine, thanks to journalism; financials improved with the entry of foreign news agencies and salaries sky-high to earth bound offers from Indian managements. Recently, Rama told Madhavi of doing away with newspapers as Internet served news and scandals, juicy and readable. Madhavi protested strongly; for a week she made elaborate inquiries; if she did not sight newspapers on the table in the morning, she anxiously probed Rama. Her daughter is in Class 10, eldest son in Class 9 and second son Class 8. Madhavi needs cash as schools are not free anymore from Class 8. She works at many homes in Dharma Nagar CHS; Rama seems to be the lone newspaper buyer; others do not, done away with the habit.
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