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Since Saturday 30 July 2011 tragedy hit me in the guts hard and strong, both my Nikon D 80 s died n their sleep.. I called up my dear friend Sundar Vetkar ace camera technician of Bohra Bazar to be told he was in Ratnagiri.. his hometown.


Sundar Vetkar is a great human being , whenever I give him my camera to clean the CCD or some minor flaw he wont charge me , and if he does it is a very nominal amount, his reasoning is that I use my camera to champion the cause of Humanity and I dont make money through my photography so he says in all simplicity he is ashamed to charge me..and he humbles me this great man .. greater than me in his humility... he humbles me with his words his kindness his love for me.

Yes this is a purely Mumbaikar quality..

So all of Saturday and all of Sunday I did not shoot a picture I watched both my grand daughters Marziya Shakir unwell at home and a little 14 days tot Nerjis Asif Shakir and didn't shoot her too..


I am hopelessly clueless shooting pictures of people by sticking the mobile phone on their smudgy faces ..

This evening I called Sundar Vetkar and he had come back from his hometown told him the malady of my ailing cameras , he asked me to come over to his tiny cubicle under a staircase at Bohra Bazar..in town..

Wife dear is fasting since four five days they open their Ramzan account before us men , accompanied me in the cab, I sat in the front and she at the back..Khan Saab was our friendly driver.. as I shut the doors of the cab, and passed Mori road basket weavers he said Firoze Bhai aren't you taking your usual shots I nodded I was shooting , only he could not see me camera .. he looked confused at this new invisible technology.. the traffic was bad as there was an accident at Mahalaxmi and the traffic was diverted via Arthur Road Jail .

I saw the pedestal of Khada Parsi the metallic boobed mermaids and I gorged the scenes the homeless sitting waiting for Ramzan and the elusive rain touched Ramzan Chand.. the chaos we took potholed roads and the JJ bridge I dont shoot potholes its the flavor of newsprint and pathos of DNA and Hindustan Times .

We reached Central Camera my taxi fare had shot up thanks to the traffic potholes my wife silently paid Rs 200..

We reached the famous camera lane I met Umesh Salgaonkar , a great photographer friend he gave me his invitation a group show near JJ art Gallery starting from 8 Aug..

I met Raju bhai handsome hunk of Vibgyor he asked me Dude where is your camera , I told him you cant see it but I took his shot..

I came to Reliable stores both Shyman Bhai and Raju bhai posed for me I took shots with my minds camera and moved on to Sundar Vetkars cubicle I handed him both the dead cameras told him to charge nominal as I am going through bad times bad karma bad luck he smiled nodded his head
..
Wife waited outside on the street , we decided to take the local from VT.. so we walked people whom I shot the vegetable vendors of Bohra Bazar looked at me as though I was a zombie.. and this young guy shouted out aloud Sahib tumcha camera kute ahey.. I pointed to my third eye on my forehead ..and he looked zapped .. he thought the rains has gotten to me and my third eye too..

We stood in the line , me my turban , my barefeet my rings and next to me my fast clinging burkha clad wife.. we took the Bandra local wife took her ticket and got into the ladies compartment while I sat with the gents..

A little urchin girl came tugged my pajama I took one shot she smiled I gave her some coins than I got up as Bandra had arrived her mother sitting near the door had a child on her wrinkled wretched breast that looked milk less to me I took one shot hurriedly .. and the Parsi gentleman with horned rimmed glasses gave me an evil stare I love Parsis but I did not shoot his picture.. I got off at Bandra wife followed me ..people looking at us .. I climbed the Foot over Mouth bridge shot the Garib Nagar plastic skyline..

As I reached the upper landing there was a Muslim beggar lady in a hijab her daughter both looked at me hoping the flash would pop up any moment I shot them in ambient light I shot them as tribute to Muslim Society on ChandRat .. I decided I would write a poem later ..

As I took the steps down another Muslim beggar man with two stumps stared into my camera eye and I took another shot sad as his Chand Rat was as bad as the last one last year and the one year before last..

Wife was getting annoyed she had her fast to break she muttered under her breath uff ab bandh bhi karo..

We than came to the signal near Lucky Hotel and the hijra waved out to me from a cluster of rickshas I took a shot , wife was now absolutely furious , I winked at the hijra .. and followed my wife through Jamatkhana Food lane .. the Muslim beggars stared at me crazily they thought I was fuckin stark naked without my camera I covered my imaginary shame but I took several shots .

Wife was all red fuming we parted at Jain Mandir lane she took her path homewards I came to my workplace ....I sat for a while congratulated my friend Mitul Thakkar he has become a father to Divan..I congratulated his wife Sonali his father my Savior in hard times Nitin Thakkar and Ashaji first time grand parents.

I left my workplace walked through Chinchpokli lane took two shots of the goats eating plastic on the dumps , and begrudgingly came out via a short cut to my house.. my lift man gave me a salute Saab Ramzan Mubarak.. Camera Kahan Hai..

And I just looked through him rudely and reached home .. than while the crackers burst outside I decided it was time to quit photography and get back to serious blogging on the net,..

With over 195564 photos in my Flickr photostram most of them textless all I need to do is change the Exif data add pictures without shooting anything for another 3 years..


Anyway Sundar Vetkar has promised to give me both my cameras tomorrow.. thank you for the visit on my camera less photo of the day..


माहे रमजान मुबारक, दुवा मे याद रखियेगा जी !

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