Bhopal a city of warm neighbourhoods with no VIPs

On a hot afternoon in Bhopal, I was searching for some local handicrafts in the shops of New Market. I wandered inside a small shop where a man in a white kurta pajama was rearranging shelves. “Bhaiya, yeh aur colour mein milega (can you show me this in some other colour)” I asked?

He smiled and said, “You have good taste.” We chatted for 10 minutes about fabrics, local weather, and politics. He was quite courteous and helpful, recommending the special chai available in the next lane and even helping me bargain at another stall.

Later that evening, while scrolling down on Instagram, I stopped at a post. There he was again, the courteous “shopkeeper.” Out of curiosity, I read the caption underneath — the gentleman shopkeeper was no less than a well-known state minister.

Though I was embarrassed but there was also a sense of pride that in my beloved Bhopal humility does not wear any labels. People aren’t keen to declare “Tu janta hai mein kaun hu?” (Do you know who am I?). And somehow this makes the city feel like a warm neighbourhood where you’re always welcome, even when you don’t recognise the VIPS.

Harnoor Kaur Saluja, Bhopal