Source: This narrative is adapted from the book Mad Scientist Journal.

The Woman Choosing Rotten Mangoes

And a Simple Request

The fruit seller was caught up in a conversation. Upon getting closer, I realized a woman was asking for fruit on credit, and the seller was refusing. But when I heard the rest of the conversation, something struck me deep. A heaviness fell upon my heart. Silence gripped me as if someone had suddenly shaken me awake from within.

It wasn’t an argument, nor was there any exchange of harsh words. It was a soft, gentle plea — a respectful request.

My eyes involuntarily landed on the woman’s bag. Mangoes were inside, but all of them were rotten, spoiled, with perhaps only a few edible parts left. The kind we usually set aside during picking — the ones we don’t even like to touch, let alone buy.

Then what was the discussion about? Why did the woman seem so troubled?

Annoyed, I confronted the vendor: "Brother! Why did you give her these bad mangoes? Give her some fresh ones."

He responded calmly: "Sister, she picked these mangoes herself. And I’m giving her 200-rupee mangoes for just 100 rupees per kilo. Instead of finalizing the deal, she’s now saying, ‘Can I pay later, brother?’ Is that reasonable?"

Hearing this, my heart agreed — perhaps the woman really was at fault.

But as I was lost in these thoughts, she quietly placed the bag back on the cart with a longing gaze — and walked away in silence, without saying a single word.

At home, I casually mentioned the incident to my mother. And when she revealed the other side of the story, I was overcome with shame. My eyes lowered in regret.

Mother told me: “When I was little, your nani (grandmother) used to bring home those same rotten mangoes. She’d clean them, peel them, and with great effort, salvage the little that was usable, just enough so that we kids could get a taste of summer. Just enough so that the desire to taste mangoes during the season wouldn’t go unfulfilled.”

Hearing this, something broke inside me. All the assumptions and thoughts I had earlier — I felt guilty for every single one of them.

We often make judgments based on appearances, without understanding the real struggles hidden beneath.

Sometimes, those struggles come in the form of a dull, rotting bag of fruit —
and sometimes, just a simple request.