The dosa vendor

Dosa - one of the best foods in this world. The batter delicately falls on the hot pan; spreads comfortably; becomes thin and crispy; deliciousness on a plate. Dosa is one of the favourite breakfast feasts. It is delicious, filling, nutritious, low in calories, and easy to digest - all good things together. Dosa is a delicacy that one can find in most casual restaurants. However, I believe that dosa from the street vendors taste the best. This story comes from such a street vendor.

I have always lived in a crowded area of the city. From my home, every facility was available at a convenient distance. One such facility was street food vendors. We had one entire lane dedicated to food. It was called Khau galli. In this lane, there were vendors selling south Indian food, chat, sandwiches, and beverages. While there were 6-7 vendors who would exclusively sell south Indian delicacies, one vendor always stood out to me.

This vendor, let's call him K, had taken over the stall from his father. His father had happily retired and had returned to their native place to spend the rest of his life. K was in 20s when he took the charge of the business. K was not well educated but was street smart. He was young and innovative. He had ideas to bring more business. He was driven by passion to make their business a legacy and benchmark.

The first idea that K implemented was selling filter coffee and boiler tea. The south Indian vendors would only sell idli, vada, and dosa. Most people would drink tea or coffee after the food and go to beverage vendors. K observed this pattern and started selling tea and coffee, making his stall a one stop shop. The filter coffee and tea were freshly made in front of the customer. This attracted more crowd to K's stall.

K's second masterstroke was introduction of small fridge at the stall. Mineral water and cold drinks would also become available at K's shop. This move invited the customers who crave for a cooling drink instead of a hot beverage. Day by day, K was gaining more business. K understood the voice of the customer and made it his mission. While introducing new concepts, K ensured to keep the quality of food. Dosa, idli, or vada at his stall would always be perfect. I was one of his regular customers. Over the years, I had never noticed a dip in the taste or quality of idli, dosa, or vada.

Another trait of K that made him special was the respect for the customer. While other vendors wanted to serve the customers quickly and clear the crowd, K would do exactly opposite. He would hold conversations with his customers. He knew his regular customers well. He would know about their professions, family, and even problems. If K knew someone's problem, he would try to find the right person to solve the problem, that too from his own customer base. He would introduce a carpenter to the home owner for household work; connect a customer to a banker customer; refer a patient to a doctor. So on and so forth. K not only fed the customers but he became a true friend and facilitator to his customers. He would offer free breakfast on the customer's birthday or would give free parcel on anniversary of the customer. I remember that he had given me a free dose when I completed my graduation. He maintained a loyal customer base owing to his friendly and helpful nature.

K was not just a smart businessman. He was kind and charitable too. He used to feed a beggar every day. He would send the first batch of idli each day to the nearby temple, so that poor and homeless could be fed. He helped every person in his capacity.

K was getting old. His son took over the business from him - juat like how he had done. His son was raised in the same environment. He was equally hospitable and kind. He continued all rituals and traditions which his father had started. When K saw that all his customers were in safe hands, he made a decision to retire. Just like his father, K returned to his native place.

A few days ago, we learnt that K died at the age of 82. He died peacefully in sleep - a rare and precious death gifted only to god's favorite children. Indeed he was god's favorite. His charity, kindness, compassion, and hospitality made him a legend. The news of his demise made his customers cry. They had lost a loyal friend that day.

K's stall is still there to tell a tale of his legacy. His story is ordinary but it is special. He rose from being another dosa vendor to the coveted position of everyone's friend and guide. As long as K's generation keep K's spirit and traditions alive, K's legacy would stay strong on this mortal plane.