Photos by Rumana Husain

Wajahat Ali, fruit-seller

or two decades now, Wajahat Ali has been a dedicated salesman at a prominent wayside stall in the city. Despite his long tenure, he points out, “I have been selling fruit for the past twenty years, but I don’t own this shop. I am a salesman here.” At forty-eight years old, Wajahat Ali diligently works seven days a week, from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, alongside another salesman.

His daily earnings amount to Rs 1,500, supplemented with a complimentary lunch. However, the nature of his job entails no compensation for missed workdays. Despite this, Wajahat Ali expresses gratitude for the generous policy that allows him and his colleague to consume as much fruit as they desire, with the added perk of taking some home for their children weekly, all provided free of charge. He commends the shop owner as a benevolent individual, stating, ”He is a good man.”

The fruit stall undergoes expansion at both ends after lunch, taking advantage of thin traffic. Wajahat Ali openly acknowledges the possibility that the shop owner may be facilitating this expansion by compensating the patrolling policemen in the area, who permit the elaborate stall to occupy the footpath.

The daily routine involves the shop owner’s early morning visit to the mandi to procure fresh perishable fruit. Wajahat Ali discloses, “The other variety, which can stay for a few days, as well as the cans and the sharbat bottles, are all left here overnight.” The stall operates from 10:00 to 1:00 am, requiring meticulous preparation each night. Perishable fruits like oranges or ripe mangoes find refuge in a nearby large shop’s refrigerator, with the owner acquiring only one carton of each perishable fruit. “I am not around at closing time, but I open the stall in the morning. All the hardy fruit and bottles, etc are packed each night under a sturdy cloth and tied up,” he divulges.

Wajahat Ali commutes daily by bus. At home, he resides with his wife and six children, the eldest, a son, being twenty-one years old. Two of his sons, aged eighteen and older, are working as karchobi embroiderers, a traditional embroidery technique involving a long needle and metallic thread – zari - in an embroidery house. Despite the demanding work, Wajahat Ali ensures that all his children attend school. His two working sons also attended night school.

Wajahat Ali’s family roots trace back to Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in India. He himself was born in Pakistan. Prior to joining this fruit stall, he had worked elsewhere. As he shares these details, his soft-spoken manner is accompanied by a mouthful of paan (betel-leaf), and his long, henna-dyed beard appears in tri-colours, adding a distinctive touch to his persona.

Amir Rajput, parking warden

Amir Rajput, the affable parking warden on Tariq Road, one of the busiest and most congested shopping areas of Karachi city, embodies a unique blend of humour and comical antics while performing his duties. His previous job as a door-to-door salesman for herbal products suggests a knack for interpersonal skills and charm - amiable traits that undoubtedly contribute to his success in his current role.

Sporting the trademark peak cap emblazoned with the letters KMC denoting his affiliation with the Karachi Municipal Corporation, Rajput’s attire is completed by a sleeveless neon-green jacket. He is nimble on his feet, despite his bulk, and that of the jacket, which he manages to adapt to the weather by folding it away when the heat becomes unbearable, entrusting it to a nearby vendor until the temperature cools down. “I take it back from him in the evening,” he says. The cap and jacket have been provided to all parking wardens by the KMC. They are required to wear these at work.

Rajput says a portion of his daily earnings is claimed by a contractor, leaving him with an average income ranging between Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500 per day. Weekends yield a slightly higher income, albeit with a higher deduction by the contractor.

Rajput’s work hours align with the opening hours of the surrounding shops and malls, commencing at 1:00 pm and concluding at midnight, he says. This schedule allows him to enjoy lunch at home before his shift and indulge in afternoon tea and snacks from the numerous food stalls in the vicinity.

Despite the physical demands of his job, Rajput reflects on the similarities with his previous role as a salesman, noting the constant mobility and engagement with people. While he remains undecided on his preferred occupation, the comparatively higher remuneration as a parking warden tips the scales slightly in its favour.

The writer is an author, illustrator and educator. She may be reached at husain.rumana@gmail.com