Amar, Akbar, Anthony!

 Read teacher, petty tailor and that coolie

(Name them...who is who? Amar, Akbar, Antony...or are they 3 in one?)

This narrative is based on a real soul stirring incident!

Background: Shanti Nagar in Mira Road (e) was in the eighties, a mosquito infested, low level, dirty backwaters filled, water scarcity dirty city. Low-income families, selling their 'chawls' to mega builders in Bandra, Andheri would flock to Mira Road to buy the then cheap flats.

Venue of my soul stirring story: Under the shade of wild cherry tree

Who? : A tailor sitting behind his old stitching machine, looking for customers! A hand-written wooden board on the branch. "Mending and alterations. Cheap rate!"

I: I am a retired schoolteacher...that day I approached him at an unearthly hour, making sure that no one was around with my favourite pants hidden under my armpit!  

"How much?"

He inspected the pants needing many repairs "20 rupees sir"

"Too much" I hit my palm to my forehead! 

After some haggling, I made him agree for 4rs! and I felt victorious, glorious! 

He started mending my pants. Just then he saw a coolie pulling a heavy hand cart. He would stop every now and then, panting for breath, resting his head on the wooden bar...his shirt was torn into two on his back...like a stage curtain ...ready for mob entertainment! and yes. One could see on his bare back a long red line. Blood trickling and wetting his lungi must be a rusty nail in the dingy shed an angry push by the bloodless master.

Our tailor stopped work on my pants rushed to the coolie, inserted his head inside the wooden bar and pulled the cart along with the coolie to his "shop". He asked the totally confused coolie to sit on the tree root, gave him some tea from his blackish kettle and asked him to remove his shirt!

More confused, the coolie protested "I have no money Baisab..!"

"...no problem ...but you have a heart, and don't I have one?"

Our tailor cleaned his wound, helped him to put on his "new shirt"

The coolie thanked our tailor with countless 'salaams' and pulled his hand cart with alacrity, more wonder, more vigor and importantly with more love!

He mended my pants. I yes, I paid him 40rs all that I had saved for my Sunday evening whisky quarter!

I ate my dinner with gusto.

"How come you ate so well today?"

"Darling...Oxytocin! "

"Oh, you purchased a new brand of whiskey!"

And I went to the kitchen to help her wash the vessels 

Amar Akbar Antony

Coolie, tailor, teacher? Separately or three in one?