The Little Red Book a.k.a. Bahi Khata

This is not a Little red book of spy secrets. It does not contain a list of phone numbers of hot dudes or gals (as you may want it to be). This is a nondescript accounts book. The red book with white thread stitching is called 'Bahi' in Hindi and 'Khata' stands for accounts. This book is typical of the trader community across India. This is where they write their daily accounts. Computers have replaced them in cities but these are still used by thousands in small towns and villages.

This caught my attention as being a city-dweller I had not seen one in ages. I have faint memories of it from my father's ancestral village. This shot is from the daily wholesale flower market in New Delhi. People come from as far as Himachal to sell flowers. Flowers are imported from South East Asia. And these are sold in neighbourhood florist vends and high end shops. A large chunk makes its way to the opulent five star hotels of the city.

Technology and modernism play a big part in the business. From transportation to storage to recording sales to artistic displays. Educated, skilled people look into all this. We appreciate the fancy decors. We carry flowers to our houses and forget where it all began.

This little red book holds the record of the beginning of this journey. The farmer who lovingly grows the beautiful flowers in his village and then travels to the city for business notes down all transactions meticulously in this book. This is his excel sheet of all he has spent, earned and profited from his venture. It is the sum of his professional life.