A morning at Alwar's bookstore.

Alwar's bookstore is a roadside bookstore that has been functioning since the 1950's.
The man himself was born in 1922, and moved to Chennai in the year 1952. He was married to Mary who,  in 1975, joined him in the business. This is definitely Chennai's oldest pavement store, being in existence for about 60 years!
The shop is located just before Nageshwarao park, in front of the Mylapore club. There is about 15-20 feet length, and 5 feet depth, taken up on the pavement by the shop. We arrived at about 10:45, my father and I, and the shop looked shut. There is no door actually. Just a shelf of books, with a tarpaulin over the top, with a narrow pathway which I think only Mary can mysteriously access. There are walls on either side, and the back.
Then we saw a short woman, with black hair, yellow on the sides, with a questioning glance, coming toward us, with a quick stride, in a sari.This was Mary. I explained to her that I was looking for any book that was old, and she pulled out a bunch, and showed it to me. Mary can find any book you're looking for. The only ones that really interested me were a History of Britain, and one of India, but I wasn't too keen on buying them. She rustled up some more books, bringing out this and that, and I myself tried to go into the shop, but I couldn't move in more that a foot or two! There was, on a shelf, a faded framed photograph of Mary, looking younger, with a man with a flowing white beard, and some other younger people standing around. She told me this was of the same shop, but 30 years ago. She blamed it on the politicians of today that they had had to reduce the size of the shop down to just 5 feet. Inquiring about Alwar, she said he had broken his leg, so was sitting at home, and couldn't come to the shop that day. My father then told her that he had been a regular, between '74-76. She asked if I were his son.We said yes.
Some other people had come in to the side of the shop, asking for engineering and physics books. She found the engineering books for them, but not the physics books. When they inquired about the price, she said 700 for the 2 books. They gasped in shock.
They said, look at the condition, its been wet in the rain. She said it would be 600 each if it was in good condition. And so, barely saying, no thank you, they ran for it!
She continued looking around for more old books, but then we decided that we had to leave, so I asked about the price of the 1960's' history of the British empire'. She said 300 rupees. It was a little steep for the book, and I was not too keen on it anyways, so I said, no thank you, we'll be back next week to see whats there. She said, come on now, 250 rupees, buy something for spending so much time here. No, thanks. Next week. It won't be here next week! That's alright, we'll find something else. 200! Come on! No. Oh come on, she said, and sat on the pavement resignedly.
Maybe we'll get to see Alwar next time, all healed, as well as some more books.