Spending a lifetime in DTC buses

Each day, after 3 pm, Narendra Kumar Sharma is a common face in DTC bus number 522. He boards the bus with a bag loaded with books on general knowledge and short stories.

The moment he enters, few books in hand for display, Sharma shouts ‘Desh aur duniya ke bare mein jaane sirf 10 Rs mein’ (Know about the country and the world in Rs 10 only). He evokes curiosity and one among the many in the bus, buys his books. His business done in 522 and he deboards at next stop. Time to lure people with his ware in another bus!

Such is the life of this bookseller from Bulandshaher, a Class X pass out who came to Delhi in the 1990s. “My uncle used to run a small school in his home in Karawal Nagar, where I started teaching. But the school got closed and I
was also married then,” reminisces Sharma.

It was in 1993 when he started to work as helper at a private firm in Sahibabad. He continued until his wife became ill. “I had to be with her because she was going through psychological problems,” says Sharma. He decided to sell newspaper in buses, but a short stint later couldn’t muster enough enthusiasm to do the job.
With 35 copies of Sandhya Prahari in his hands, Sharma boarded the bus but couldn’t sell a single copy.

“I boarded the bus and got down at the next stop without uttering a word,” says Sharma in a slightly rueful tone. In the next bus, however, Sharma did it. “I shouted the headline of the lead story in the daily – Sonia ladengi Amethi se chunav (Sonia Gandhi will contest the elections from Amethi.” To his surprise all the copies were sold.

“I earned Rs 15 that day,” says Sharma, happy at having struck the right note. Over a period of time he gradually realised that the real ‘business’ was in selling books. “I started with books on English speaking and maps. At that time I used to sell one English book at Rs 10, the purchase price for which used to be Rs five and Delhi maps at the same price, which used to cost me rupees three. ”

Today, Sharma sells a set of three books – General Knowledge, Aakhir Kyun, Akbar and Birbal at the same price. “Earlier the book used to be thick. Those who used to buy English books and maps were mainly from villages who were visiting Delhi for the first time. They used to compare pages with the price. Therefore, it wasn’t a bad deal for them. Even road maps used to be the most purchased item because it had all the information like which bus will ply on which route besides basic information about the city,” says Sharma. He even sold a set of four books. “It used to be an exciting deal for buyers. But as the cost was increased by publishers, I had to bring the number to three,” he says. These ostensible changes did not spoil his terms with publishing house – Mohan Publishers and Ravi Prakashan.

Every day, at eight in the morning, Sharma starts out from his home in Ghaziabad, reaches Red Fort and buys books from the publication office. “Maximum buyers, these days, are daily commuters. Some people know me because they have been noticing me for years while others buy because of curiosity,” he says.

On days when his stars favour him, he earns more than Rs 400 per day. “I have even earned more than this in a day, especially when we sell
a new item. Last year 3D magic book was a hit,” he says, musing that had private buses also been plying, the profit could have doubled.

“The business used to be good at that time. Even boarding and deboarding a bus was not a tough task. Now, I have to request drivers and conductors to open the bus doors and allow me in.”

Selling books at Rs 10 has not changed Sharma’s fortune in these many years. “Nothing has changed in my life. I don’t have my own home. My son is a bus conductor and my daughters are studying. Nobody has ever asked us who we are, where we come from,” laments Sharma.