We both were intoxicated. It was the vapor around. While, I got high on thoughts of righting a blog, he continued to scrape sandpaper on the furniture he was going to shine-polis for me. Sunil is a freelance polis-wala who will charge you exorbitant money if you are not careful. Rupees 2200 is all he asked for a one and a half day job he completed with his assistant.
In addition to his rightful labor, the cost of two chemicals which means the thinner and the polishing chemical, a nitrocellulose based material locally manufactured in the local industrial areas, and other contingencies could not be more than half of what he asked me earlier for. Thankfully, protective gloves, boots or masks don’t figure in the picture.
The locally industrial areas manufactured vapor producing half litre nitrocellulose tin box shows a badly designed cross ‘X’ with ‘HARMFUL’ written next to it. Think the brand is called Taralac. Perhaps, this all was the information that the box gave. I got reminded of COSHH I learnt about in the UK, and how the gov’ment regulates the use of such harmful substances, so I felt pity for Sunil and asked him if he knows the job he does, and if it is bad for his health. He replies in a pitiful and a draggy tone about how he has been doing this work for last sixteen years and has always felt intoxicated while doing it. His eyes rolled unsure why we are talking this as he continued to polish the table leg.
And I think to myself- wow what a nice rare job he does because it gives him a high he doesn’t mind.
Sunil tells me of burning sensation in his hands sometimes because many a times the chemical is harder than usual. Sometimes his eyes get yellowy. Then he tells me the importance of studying and teaching his chillen well in a nice ambitious city like Ahmedabad. He is hopeful and starts to put a pitying tone to extract that extra money.
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