Santosh Gupta Vegetable Vendor

My name is Santosh Gupta and I have been a vegetable vendor in Goregaon West for many years. My spot is on M G Road near the Ayappa Temple Road and I am right opposite the Large building. Every morning I have to get up at four to go to the main wholesale market and pick out the vegetables for the day. By the time the sun is up I have my crates set out and everything cleaned and ready for the customers. It is hard work and my back often hurts from the heavy lifting and standing on the pavement all day. When it rains it is a real struggle to keep the greens from getting ruined but we manage with some plastic sheets. I have many regular customers who come to me every day to buy their onions and potatoes. We talk about the daily news or how the prices of things are going up while I weigh their vegetables on my scale. I don't have a shop with a door or windows, just my space on the street where I can show what I have. It is a very busy corner with many rickshaws passing by all the time. My family comes to help me in the evenings when the office workers are coming home and things get very busy. I just try to do honest work and provide for my family.