A Stark Contrast: Two Streets for Book Lovers

Appa Balwant Chowk — the name reminds me of a typical rich merchant from an Indian movie. He perhaps lived in a large prodigious bungalow here at the time of British rule. But when they left, his grandeur diminished. I might see some ruins. I was going there to find rare books that I could feel proud holding in my hand. Too busy picturing my pride, I did not realize when I reached and the Google Navigator announced, “You have reached. Your destination is on the left”, I turned my eyes towards the market.

“Is THIS the market?” I said loudly. My 8-year-old companion looked at me and observed the wrinkles of surprise growing on my face, “Yes, I can see some books”, he pointed at a bookstore. I quickly ran a scan.

No luxury! Not even the ruins! No ‘Appa’ effect! A typical, narrow, dry, crowded, and dusty Indian street!

The Mumbai Fountain Book Market

Before Pune, I have lived in Mumbai for 13 years and used to visit my favorite book bazaar (Market) often. The bazaar which was located just opposite the famous fountain in South Mumbai was spread out on the footpath, covering more than a kilometer. It had ample space to accommodate a hundred visitors this doesn’t sound like many and had a parking area, a rare sight in Mumbai.

The booksellers have huge stocks and are aware of the titles they carry. They often suggest books or authors from your favorite categories. They are friendly and remember their customers by face. The moment I step out of my car, a seller would wave me ‘Hi’ and extend a warm welcome, “Madam, last time you were searching for a book on psychology, I have got 10 books that you might be interested in” the street seller would say. I was expecting to find a similar experience atAppaBalvantChowk, but what I found was a stark contrast.

Walk in the Appa Balwant Street

Appa Balwant Street offers more than 20 book street shops and is as huge as the Mumbai bazaar, but the streets are so narrow that you can’t feel the expanse. The booksellers had tiny stacks, tiny I must say, for if I compare them with the book market of Mumbai, they looked like the scattered pieces of what could have been a huge tapestry of a literary fabric.

Charmless it was, boring like a secondary classroom in a village, and narrow like a pipeline. I could not find an inch to move my car let alone park it. The people were not moving but reeking of dryness and their adamant faces were demanding, “Who told you to bring a car here?”.

Where was I going? I wondered and pulled my car near a bike rider. I slid my windowpane down. He was not wearing a helmet like most Pune riders even when the law says, “You must wear a protective headgear while riding a motorcycle”. Clearly, Puneaikars don’t follow rules!

“Is there a place to park a car?” I asked him.

“Yes madam, a big mall with a lot of space”, finally some speck of Appa. I followed the direction he gave next.

I drove through the narrow lane, crushing the spirit of the crowd, and reached the mall that looked like an old building. A tiny board said ‘Parking’ with a hand-written arrow pointing at the lot — If the street was a pipe, this was a straw!

After this crushing parking experience when I reached the street, hoping to add some amazing books to my personal library but what I got was a shock! The books were repeating themselves on almost every stall. Most of them were academic textbooks or preparatory materials for exams like IIT, CAT, and GMAT.

I stopped at a self-help book section but could not find the books of my interest, so I asked, “Do you have any book on psychology?”. The bookseller was busy putting the books left by the last visitor. I repeated my question, but still no answer. “Bhiayya”, (the word we use to call strangers in India), I raised my voice. Did you say Bhiayya? It’s not clear He looked at me briefly but as I repeated my question, he responded with a dry “No” and went back to arranging books. No interest in customers! That was new!

I did not find my dream books, nor did my little book lover!

But I had worked so hard so how could I leave empty-handed?

I rushed through the stalls, and before our bodies ran dry without water, I picked 10 books — My first achievement!

The next was my journey on foot with these books in my hands as the bookseller did not spare me a handbag. At last, I was back in the tiny parking lot.

I looked at my kid, “I am never coming back” and he replied, “I am very thirsty. Can I have some water?”

Two Neighbours! Two Cultures!

While on my way back, I kept thinking about my experience and not just this one. After living in Mumbai for over 13 years, now I am in Pune and all I can say is that Mumbai and Pune are neighbors by geography, but poles apart in culture, and I am still trying to adjust even after a year.

People in Pune are slow and relaxed, unlike in Mumbai where they are running day and night. My experience of shopping at Amazon confirmed it. If I ordered a book from Mumbai, I would get it a day before the promised delivery date. If I ordered the same from Amazon Pune, I might get it after 2 days of the promised date. I am a regular shopper at Amazon and never once did I get the delivery on time here.

Punaikars like to stay home while Mumbaikars prefer to meet the world outside. Punaikars are reluctant to even visit a friend living in the same building. The work-from-home culture became the norm during the pandemic but as the danger alleviated, Mumbaikars started going to offices and the streets were full again. On the other side, most Punaikars are still working from home.

But Pune also has perks — the weather is amazing, real estate cost is less, there is ample space in houses, you find a parking space easily (Appa was an exception), traffic issues don’t trouble (compared to Mumbai), and societies are filled with the chirping of cute kids.

Coming back to my experience, all I want to do is issue a warning that the market is no doubt is a great opportunity for students to find academic books but if your interests lie in fiction and other creative non-fiction areas, you might want to try other markets in Pune.