few words with Mehboob

He stood up as we entered his shop. He assumed us to be his customers, just like others who come to his shop. “Aiye andar aiye madam, baithiye!” he welcomed us into his shop. We introduced ourselves as students of Pearl Academy, doing research on Jama Masjid and area around. And we wanted to talk to him about the same.

He introduced himself as Mehboob, the proprietor of the shop which he started 17 years ago.  He holds the business with three branches all in chandni chowk. “Apko yaha kaam karte hue toh 17 saal hue hai, kafi jyada waqt se hai aap yaha. Apke hisab se ye ilaka badal nai gaya?” I asked. “Haan kafi waqt toh ho gaya hai. Badalao bhi aye hai bht. Pehle noor tha is ilake mai, ab toh jaise bus bheed hai. Logo ko kahuf hota h yaha ane se bhi. Dus baar sochte hai yaha ane se pehle.” He said heavy heartedly.   

“Toh Mehboob sahib, jaise ki mai dekh rahi hu apke pas kafi tarah k ittar hai. Aap ye mangwate kaha se hai?” I asked. He paused for a while and said “Jyadatar toh Saudi se ate hai, baki yahi Dilli se mangwaye jate h.” I further asked him question about processing of these ittars to which he flashed a smile and said, “madam ji ap humse jyada jante honge, par fir bhi aap puch rahe ho toh batata hu” and he asked his fellow to bring tea for us in hand gesture. “ji phoolo ko boil karte hai, uska jo bhaap hota hai na, steam! Steam ko ikaatha kar banta h ittar. Organic hota hai. Aur bht tarah k oil wagera mila k ek tarah ka ittar banta hai.”

“kafi sundar hai ye sishi! Kitne ki hogi?” I asked with a beautifully carved glass ittar bottle in my hand. He priced it around rs.400. “aap ye bottles kaha se mangwate hai?” In response he named places including Moradabad and Firozabad.

I was kind of fascinated by these perfume bottles and so decided to buy one. I started checking few and ended up with “mild orch”. He told its one of the finest ittars he sells. He told me how to apply it as well. “madam bus itna sa hath mai lijiye aur fir ek baar main pure baju pe lagayi aur fir thoda sa apki neck pe bhi. Aur ye huamri guarantee hai kal tak jayega nai.”

I had enough of ittar conversation with him so I directly headed to the agenda of the whole interview thing. I asked asked Mehboob about the problems in the area he faces daily to which he turned his head toward raod and pointed his finger to the dug road and said, “ap ye road dekh rahi hai? MCD walo mai pichle hafte khudwai thi. Ab tak koi nai aya thik karne. Kehte hai ki ilaka thi karne ae hai aur sab kharab kar k chale jate h. koi mud k thik karne b nai ata” further he focused of the problem of water and electricity. Also the unhygienic environment due to improper disposal system and drainage system.

Mehboob on asking “what changes will he bring if had a chance to change any aspect” replied, he could probably change the whole area and make more like it was before. I could feel a ray of hope in his eyes while he said those last line in his interview.

“toh Mehboob sahib ab apse ijazat leti hu. Bahut bahut shukriya apke waqt k liye.” I said.