The old curio shop was old and musty.
Dimly lit.
It smelt of old leather and newspapers and stale coffee grounds . It was delightful. I loved these old shops. They had this air of mystery about them . And history, peeking out of every corner.
A staircase led to the first floor,it was lined with old, narrow, maroon carpet and on the edges balanced large bronze and brass pots. They were battered and spoke of ancient , hoary , royal past. Large,round handles dangled from both the sides.
Huge tapestries with hunting scenes depicted on them , hung from the roof , their grimy fringes touching heads and getting greasier. There were dusty glass cases with silver hairpins and combs , daggers and sandals , coins and seals , all family heirlooms , once prized and now open for sale , after decades and centuries of being treasured, hoarded.
I suddenly bumped into an old wizened man smiling broadly , rubbing his hands in glee.
“Yes , ma’am, can I help you ?”
“I am looking for a birthday gift for a history buff.”
Then began a journey extraordinaire. After asking me the sex and gender of the person to be gifted, he began displaying curios , one after the other .
"This, ma'am was the brooch of Rani of Cooch Behar." He would begin ,and went on to tell stories about how it came in his possession . He knew stories about the origins of all his wares , which I found remarkable , almost magical.
I settled for a brass flute which once played in the royal band of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the nawab of Awadh. For a steal of Rs. 5000.
Agog with my purchase , I accosted my better half , that evening . After having heard me through, he being the eternal pragmatist, had this to say-"Are you sure this brass flute hasn't been stolen /bought from our bazaar corner Ashok Band ? Nonsense , I don't believe you can buy an authentic flute from nawab's palace at such throwaway prices. Besides, how do you know he wasn't spinning yarns at the sight of you with your dropped jaw and shining eyes? Madam, you have been taken for a ride again."
Dimly lit.
It smelt of old leather and newspapers and stale coffee grounds . It was delightful. I loved these old shops. They had this air of mystery about them . And history, peeking out of every corner.
A staircase led to the first floor,it was lined with old, narrow, maroon carpet and on the edges balanced large bronze and brass pots. They were battered and spoke of ancient , hoary , royal past. Large,round handles dangled from both the sides.
Huge tapestries with hunting scenes depicted on them , hung from the roof , their grimy fringes touching heads and getting greasier. There were dusty glass cases with silver hairpins and combs , daggers and sandals , coins and seals , all family heirlooms , once prized and now open for sale , after decades and centuries of being treasured, hoarded.
I suddenly bumped into an old wizened man smiling broadly , rubbing his hands in glee.
“Yes , ma’am, can I help you ?”
“I am looking for a birthday gift for a history buff.”
Then began a journey extraordinaire. After asking me the sex and gender of the person to be gifted, he began displaying curios , one after the other .
"This, ma'am was the brooch of Rani of Cooch Behar." He would begin ,and went on to tell stories about how it came in his possession . He knew stories about the origins of all his wares , which I found remarkable , almost magical.
I settled for a brass flute which once played in the royal band of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the nawab of Awadh. For a steal of Rs. 5000.
Agog with my purchase , I accosted my better half , that evening . After having heard me through, he being the eternal pragmatist, had this to say-"Are you sure this brass flute hasn't been stolen /bought from our bazaar corner Ashok Band ? Nonsense , I don't believe you can buy an authentic flute from nawab's palace at such throwaway prices. Besides, how do you know he wasn't spinning yarns at the sight of you with your dropped jaw and shining eyes? Madam, you have been taken for a ride again."
So typical.
ReplyDeleteThis is a global trend. Anybody anywhere is ready to get a free ride. Most of the human beings seem to have lost their values.
ReplyDelete