<p>While buying guavas from my usual fruit vendor, my eyes scanned the piles of fresh greens displayed attractively on the footpath by an adjacent vendor. Hoping to finally catch a glimpse of the very elusive <span class="italic">sarson sag</span>, I once again asked him, hesitatingly, “hope you have finally found sarson sag for me?”</p>.<p>“No, Amma, I have told you time and again that no one buys this <span class="italic">sag here. Why don’t you take other fresh greens like methi, palak or sui?” he asked. </span></p>.<p>Having originally come from the North of India, I pined for my and favourite meal of <span class="italic">sarson sag with makki ki roti topped with dollops of white butter. Winter months would come and go, and I would consider myself fortunate if I got to relish this delicacy even once or twice during the season, curtsey some thoughtful visitors from the North.</span></p>.<p>Over the years, I had become a regular customer of a guava vendor. His guavas were not only luscious, fresh and sweet, but his simple, eager to please demeanour ensured repeated visits by his customers. One day, as I drove past him in a hurry, I saw him frantically waving to me.</p>.<p>He had pulled out a big plastic bag from the corner of his guava basket, as I reached him. Peeping inside, my face lit up on seeing fresh, green and juicy bundles of <span class="italic">sarson sag</span>, quite in contrast to the stale and shrivelled variety one would find at an occasional shop. “Where on earth did you find this treasure?” I asked him excitedly still reeling in utter disbelief.</p>.<p>Thanking him profusely, I offered him a generous sum of money, which he politely refused, replying sheepishly, with a broad grin across his face “No, Amma, this is a small gift from me. I found the <span class="italic">sag</span> growing in a new farm that I visited early this morning to pluck guavas.</p>.<p>As soon as I saw it, I thought of you, and your futile attempts with my neighbour in procuring this vegetable.”</p>.<p>As I sat in the car, clutching the precious bag of <span class="italic">sag</span>, my heart was filled with a mix of emotions —joy, surprise and a deep sense of gratitude at the thoughtfulness displayed towards me by a complete stranger. </p>
<p>While buying guavas from my usual fruit vendor, my eyes scanned the piles of fresh greens displayed attractively on the footpath by an adjacent vendor. Hoping to finally catch a glimpse of the very elusive <span class="italic">sarson sag</span>, I once again asked him, hesitatingly, “hope you have finally found sarson sag for me?”</p>.<p>“No, Amma, I have told you time and again that no one buys this <span class="italic">sag here. Why don’t you take other fresh greens like methi, palak or sui?” he asked. </span></p>.<p>Having originally come from the North of India, I pined for my and favourite meal of <span class="italic">sarson sag with makki ki roti topped with dollops of white butter. Winter months would come and go, and I would consider myself fortunate if I got to relish this delicacy even once or twice during the season, curtsey some thoughtful visitors from the North.</span></p>.<p>Over the years, I had become a regular customer of a guava vendor. His guavas were not only luscious, fresh and sweet, but his simple, eager to please demeanour ensured repeated visits by his customers. One day, as I drove past him in a hurry, I saw him frantically waving to me.</p>.<p>He had pulled out a big plastic bag from the corner of his guava basket, as I reached him. Peeping inside, my face lit up on seeing fresh, green and juicy bundles of <span class="italic">sarson sag</span>, quite in contrast to the stale and shrivelled variety one would find at an occasional shop. “Where on earth did you find this treasure?” I asked him excitedly still reeling in utter disbelief.</p>.<p>Thanking him profusely, I offered him a generous sum of money, which he politely refused, replying sheepishly, with a broad grin across his face “No, Amma, this is a small gift from me. I found the <span class="italic">sag</span> growing in a new farm that I visited early this morning to pluck guavas.</p>.<p>As soon as I saw it, I thought of you, and your futile attempts with my neighbour in procuring this vegetable.”</p>.<p>As I sat in the car, clutching the precious bag of <span class="italic">sag</span>, my heart was filled with a mix of emotions —joy, surprise and a deep sense of gratitude at the thoughtfulness displayed towards me by a complete stranger. </p>