Me: Hello? Excuse me!

Seller: Yes, would you like some mangoes?

Me: What? No, sir, actually I want to...

Seller: Come on, have some! I’ll sell for three hundred a dozen. Not too bad, right?

Me: I do not want to buy mangoes.

Seller: Then go away. I’m here to sell mangoes.

Me: If I buy some mangoes, will you talk to me?

Seller: Um... Yeah, sure.

Me: Okay. There goes my lunch money.

Seller: Mangoes are a nice lunch. Want some more?

Me: My name is Prem Sinha. What is your name?

Seller: Prashant.

Me: Oh, how nice. I want to know about your life.

Prashant: I grow mangoes. I sell mangoes. I make money. I grow more mangoes.

Me: You must be using some money on food.

Prashant: No, I eat my mangoes.

Me: Nothing else but mangoes?

Prashant: I have an acre large farm! I grow what I want to eat!

Me: A whole acre? You should be quite well off then.

Prashant: I only have land. I don’t have seeds.

Me: Well, why don’t you buy more seeds?

Prashant: I don’t have enough money.

Me: Take a loan from the bank.

Prashant: That’s the problem. They don’t just give money, but take it back also.

Me: Does your family help you in making money?

Prashant: No.

Me: Do you not allow them?

Prashant: I have no family.

Me: Oh, sorry. I didn’t know.

Prashant: It’s okay. At least I can live alone in peace.

Me: What is your house like?

Prashant: What do you mean? It has kitchen, a toilet and a door.

Me: Do you ever wish for more?

Prashant: You want me to answer that?

Me: Yes?

Prashant: Of course I do! Everyone has dreams!

Me: What do you dream of?

Prashant: I dream of Jeanie, my wife.

Me: You said you had no family.

Prashant: I had a wife, but she disappeared.

Me: How did she...

Prashant: Don’t ask!

Me: Could you just tell me...

Prashant: No, I cannot.

Me: Okay, then. How much money do you make?

Prashant: I make Rs. 5000 a month.

Me: Not too shabby.

Prashant: It’s enough for survival.

Me: But what about living?

Prashant: Don’t get philosophical in my face! Survival is living.

Me: No it’s not. Look at me.

Prashant: What do you do for survival?

Me: I work for a news company.

Prashant: And what do you do for a living?

Me: I work for...

Prashant: Where’s the difference now?

Me: That’s not how I meant it. Don’t you understand?

Prashant: Sorry, I didn’t go to school.

Me: Oh, that must have been harsh. I can imagine you craving to go to school as a child...

Prashant: Not at all. Rather, the kids who went to school wished they could laze around like me.

Me: Is that so?

Prashant: Yes, it’s like that. I spent my days chasing dogs and spinning tyres.

Me: Damn, that must have been smooth.

Prashant: Of course. Why education at all?

Me: It will teach your children how to...

Prashant: Do what? Do a job that’s more stressful and tedious than this?

Me: No, they will earn more when they grow up.

Prashant: What will they do by earning more?

Me: They will live in comfort.

Prashant: Do you consider yourself one of them?

Me: I am educated, so yeah.

Prashant: Are you always happy?

Me: No, but neither are you.

Prashant: So, what’s the difference?

Me: Um...

Prashant: See? What is your job again?

Me: I write interviews.

Prashant: So tell me, could you live without news, or without food?

Me: Food...

Prashant: So both of us are sometimes happy, sometimes not but I sell what people really need.

Me: So...

Prashant: So I am doing a service to mankind at no extra cost, while your family paid for your education so that you can get a job and do nothing that helps in man’s survival. You want more mangoes?