Stuffed tigers, teddy bears, ducks, fancy pillows… my toy shop at Rajaji Street is a favourite hub for parents with wailing kids. The children instantly stop crying when they come near my shop. The colourful toys seem to pacify them and they love the soft, huggable teddy bears. Pink and red are their favourite colours.
I buy all my toys from the whole sale market at Town Hall. I go there twice a week to shop. The toys are affordable. They are priced between Rs. 100 and Rs. 300. Still, the parents bargain. I sell them at a discount of Rs. 20 or Rs. 30. You must see the twinkle in the kids’ eyes when they grab the toys. Their smiling faces make my day.
I have been selling toys for the past 10 years. I began my business on this very road. It has changed a lot in the last one decade. With more buildings, shops and eateries, the street bustles with people. Saturdays and Sundays are the best days for business. With honking vehicles and thronging pedestrians, I get my best business then.
There are so many other roadside vendors here like me selling other toys, handkerchiefs and fruits. I am friendly with all of them. We help each other out when anyone is in trouble. We stand united.
I live inGandhipuram with my sons. One of them sells socks here. We stay here from morning till night selling our wares. My sons tell me to stop working and relax at home. But how will I spend time at home, all alone? I cannot sit still. I belong to the streets. I like to be in the company of people.
I have six grand-children. Now, the best thing about this job is that I do not have to buy toys from other shops, for them. Every time they call me and ask me to keep aside a few teddies for them, I happily do so.
I love to watch films. It is my biggest stress buster. I make it a point to watch a film once every week. Even when I was little girl, I used to frequent Carnatic theatre to watch Sivaji Ganesan starrers. The visuals of Vietnam Veedu are still etched in my mind. Sivaji delivered such a powerful performance! I think he is a really good actor.
Now, my star is Sivakarthikeyan. I like family films, with humour and nice songs. I don’t like action. When I am in the theatre, I want to forget everything around me. I want to laugh and have a good time.
Krishnaveni, 60, is a toy seller, at Rajaji Street, Gandhipuram.
