In praise of small vendors

The small-time vendor was being able to do what I'd have imagined would be easier for the Amazons, Big Baskets and Grofers of the world to do

Last week, we nervously stepped out of the house to buy groceries and ran into Raghuvir Singh. No sight could have gladdened my heart more. Over the years, this vegetable vendor had become a familiar sight in one corner of the neighbourhood. Although the streets had almost completely emptied, there he was — face covered in white head cloth that had seen better days and a badge that declared he’d been allowed to operate his vegetable cart in our neighbourhood prominently on display. Relieved that we didn’t have to step out on the main road, we stopped to re­plenish our