Machhi wala who remains etched in Qadian’s memory

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Illustration: Sandeep Joshi

Qadian is a small town near Gurdaspur. Even before dawn, one can hear the sound of azan and temple bells here.

Hearing these, I am reminded of the tinkling cycle bell of a fishmonger, who would come riding his Hercules bicycle every morning. No one knew his name. Everyone just called him “Pyara machhi wala”.

Clad in a white dhoti-kurta, Pyara was a small thin man with strong muscles, shaped by years of hard work. As a child, I would often wake up to his voice calling, “Machhi le lo, taji machhi”.

On the back of his bicycle was tied a wooden box in which he kept various types of fresh fish on ice, a few sharp knives, and a flat stone. His bicycle was like a small shop on wheels. Pyara would always stop near our neighbour’s house who was from Calcutta.

Another old neighbour ‘Tayyab chacha’, who also bought fish from Pyara, would try to convince others to buy fish from him.

People would tell many stories about a young Pyara how he survived storms and even crocodiles and had saved a drowning child while fishing for fresh fish in the river.

It has been years since Pyara passed away but his memories are still fresh in my mind. Pyara was not just a fish seller but part of our town’s history. A quiet, honest man, who lived with dignity.

Nasiruddin Hamid, Qadian