In February 2008, I travelled to Mumbai to visit a friend. It was cool and very pleasant as I sat on the sea wall on Marine Boulevard looking out over the Arabian Sea. Next thing I knew was a young map seller sitting next to me. With his wild black hair, sparkling eyes and gentle manner, Raj had entered my world. He wanted me to buy a map for 500 rupees (about £8), not a great deal of money, a gr eat deal in India. He obviously felt that I was a good bet for a sale. We talked. He spoke about his life as a Rajput who had left home to find his fortune for he needed the money to marry his long time sweetheart. He showed me a picture of a ravishing beauty and immediately I could see why he yearned to put his world right. He spoke about the poor place that he lived in, and the crushing obstacles that he faced everyday to sell overpriced maps with so much going to his boss. I had no need of a map. I was travelling light but in my pocket was 10,000 rupees (about £160). I...
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