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August 24, 2006
A day in the life of a paanwala
Rumana Husain writes about the neighbourhood paanwala who left his country in pursuit of greener pastures
The neighbourhood Bengali paanwala fascinates me to no end as he sits cooped up all day long confined in a tiny barely two-feet-wide cubicle, selling his wares. Why did he leave his country, with its swollen, meandering rivers and lush forests, where he could view gorgeous sunsets from his house every evening for a cramped stall? What were his problems and aspirations in his home country? Have his dreams been fulfilled? Is he happy doing what he does? are the never ending questions that crop up when I see him.
Noorul Islam hails from Nawakhali, Bangladesh. At the tender age of eight, he came to Pakistan and leaving his parents and only sister behind. An older relative, who had accompanied him, promised a better future to his parents.
He says he came here by the usual route, crossing borders on foot through Bangladesh, India and ultimately into Pakistan. His relative had found him a job in a house. Dusting, cleaning and washing he had to do all kinds of chores. They were fine people and treated me well. By the time I was 14, I had learnt to cook and for some time I did just that, says Islam.
However, he dreamt of starting his own business and decided to rent this tiny place for Rs2,000 per month and invested his savings in buying paan, chaalia (betel nuts), cigarettes, tobacco, gum and sweets. So do you get all your paan from Bangladesh? I inquire, knowing that his country is famous in the subcontinent for its Bangla paan. He has a mysterious smile when he tells me that most of the paan he sells come from Sri Lanka. He buys these from a wholesale vendor.
I have a bit of knowledge about the Urdu script but I cannot read it with ease, he confesses his handicap and adds that the family he had initially worked for educated him a little. I find no time for any entertainment other than listening to film songs on the radio, conversing in my mother-tongue with other Bengali men who work around here, mostly as cooks, and, of course, chewing paan! He replies smilingly to a question.
Opening the shop at 10am everyday and closing at midnight sometimes even after that Noorul Islam has lived in Karachi for over 20 years and has not gone home even once. His parents and sister might still be waiting, expecting him to return with bagfuls of money earned in Pakistan.
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