“Frankly, I find the much-changed Vijayawada better than the older, quieter Bejawada. The city has changed a lot with more population and opportunities for street vendors like us. I don’t mind the traffic as long as I get customers.
I studied till class 5. I am the youngest of three brothers and when I saw my cousin running his own business as a fruit seller, I realized there is little use for education.
I joined my cousin selling fruits 18 years ago in Vijayawada. We used to sell fruits in different parts of the city until we finally settled down in One Town. There are colleges, offices, banks, paying guest houses so we had plenty of customers.
My day starts at 7 am. I buy fruits from Mango Market which is a wholesale spot for fruits. I make minimal profits. I have to work till 10 pm. If I close my stall earlier than that, I lose out on making enough money. I sell apples, pomegranates, grapes, and watermelon. In my free time, I love watching movies. Old NTR and Shoban Babu movies, in particular. There is a cinema hall in One Town called Srinivas Mahal where movie tickets are priced at Rs.30. I would go there at least twice a month to watch a movie. Now, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the theatres are closed. I find it difficult to watch a movie on the phone. It doesn’t feel the same, to be honest.”