Even before the fishermen are preparing to cast their nets, AbuBakkar, a fish merchant from Kadalundi-Vadakkumbad, Kozhikode, is making his way from home to his small shed where he stores his crates.?? He cleans his Bajaj M80 motorcycle, piles up two crates behind his seat and navigates his way through bylanes and shortcuts to the Chaliyam harbour, Kozhikode, which is about seven kilometers from his shed.?? AbuBakkar is a simple man who has been selling fish for a living for the past 40 years.

The Chaliyam Harbour is a noisy place filled boats and Indian kayaks. A variety of fish caught from the Arabian Sea in baskets ready to be sold to the merchants and customers. AbuBakkar gets a load of fishes at the auction and sets off to Vadakkumbad.?? He stops by the front of every house calling out types of fishes he has for the day. He does this until the afternoon by which time the fish are almost sold out.

He returns home, takes a bath to wash of the fish smell, gets some rest and is back on his M80 to the harbour again where he buys another load which he sells from his shed. When people come by, sales take place over conversations.?? He returns home by dusk.

AbuBakkar might be making his earnings from a small job, but he does it with utmost care, dedication and an infectious smile which makes the people happy while assuring them of good quality fish.

Shreyas Sreedhara is studying at St. Joseph???s College, Bangalore, and is an avid photography enthusiast.