The negotiation

He agreed to stand and pose for the photograph. After I was done, he tried to tell me something but couldn’t speak, I thought that he was probably speech impaired. Then he spit out his pan, and said – Ye aapke lie, meri taraf se (This is from my side, for you) and pulled out a Corel stone necklace. I was pretty sure that he wanted me to buy it in in exchange for his time, so I said a polite no.

He took it back, went through his collection again, and pulled out another one with thicker beads – Ye bada hai, ye aur accha laggega (This has bigger stones, it will look better on you).  He clearly meant it. I was now embarrassed with his generosity which I had mistaken for a hard-sell. I offered to pay and asked him the cost of it – no no it’s a gift from me, he insisted. I persisted with the question on price, he finally told me (Rs 50). I tried to give him the money, and now he was embarrassed that I was paying for his gift. I insisted, and finally he took the money reluctantly.

It was the sweetest negotiation I ever had.