Pani-Puri Bhaiya

Short Story

A moving short story and flash fiction set on a scorching summer afternoon, where a street vendor serves laughter, spicy pani puri, and resilience against the relentless heat. This slice-of-life tale beautifully blends humor, human struggle, and everyday dreams.

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“Bhaiya, make it extra spicy today,” the young man grinned, fanning his face with his notebook.

Ramesh, the pani puri vendor, laughed loudly, his voice echoing down the busy street. “Extra spicy? Arre beta, if I make it spicier than this, you’ll run faster than the Delhi metro! And then who will pay me for the puris?”

The boy laughed, shaking his head as he popped a crisp puri into his mouth. A group of college girls behind him giggled at the exchange.

Ramesh worked quickly, hands moving with practiced speed - breaking the puris, filling them with potato, dipping them into the chilled, tangy water, and serving them one by one. His eyes were bright, his forehead wet with sweat that glistened in the afternoon sun.

“You’ve been standing here since morning, bhaiya? Doesn’t the heat get to you?” the boy asked between mouthfuls.

“Since morning, yes,” Ramesh said with a smile. “Sun, dust - I’ve fought with them all. I think the sun has now started calling me ‘bhaiya’ also. Every day it rises and says, ‘Arre Ramesh, ready for new round?’”

The small crowd chuckled.

“But it must be very hard?” the boy pressed.

“Hard? Haan, beta, it is.” Ramesh’s smile softened, but it never left his face. “The feet ache, and the police sometimes chase me away like I’m stealing the road itself. But what to do? At home, two children are waiting. My son wants to be an engineer. My daughter says she will become a teacher. They think their father is a magician who can turn pani puri into school fees.”

The boy’s laughter faltered, but Ramesh carried on, joking to lighten the air.

“You know, my wife says I spend more time with potatoes than with her. She gets jealous sometimes. ‘At least look at me the way you look at your puris!’ she says.”

The crowd broke into laughter. Ramesh joined in, his chest shaking, his hands still moving in rhythm.

“But bhaiya,” the boy asked, leaning closer, “don’t you ever feel tired? Don’t you want a break?”

Ramesh wiped his forehead with his arm, still smiling. “Tired? Of course. Every night my body feels like someone borrowed it and forgot to return it. But then I think - if I stop, how will my kids dream? They should dream big, no? Bigger than this cart, bigger than this street.”

He dipped another puri, held it out, and winked. “And anyway, if I die, who will give you spicy pani-puri like this?”

The boy took it with a grin. “You’re a hero, bhaiya. Honestly.”

Ramesh threw his head back and laughed. “Hero? No, no. I am just the side actor. The heroes are at home - the ones who will build something better than this.”

His laughter hung in the hot air... then stopped.

The puri slipped from his hand. His smile froze. His body staggered, chest heaving as if the air had turned to stone. He clutched the edge of the cart, eyes wide with confusion, and then crumpled onto the burning asphalt.

“Bhaiya!” the boy shouted. The crowd gasped. Someone splashed water on his face. Another dialed for help. The college girls who were laughing moments ago now stood frozen, hands over their mouths.

But Ramesh didn’t get up. His laughter, his jokes, his dreams - all fell silent in the heat of that merciless afternoon. His smile never returned.

A week later, the reports came.

It wasn’t “just a heart attack.” It was the sun. The humidity. The pollution. The relentless hours of standing on burning pavement. The thermometer said 41°C, but for Ramesh’s body felt it like 48°C, and it had been fighting far harder than he let on. His heart gave up before his spirit did.

The newspapers used big words: “Heat stress.” “Climate impact on laborers.” “Urban neglect.” But for the boy who had eaten his last pani puri, it wasn’t a headline.

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short story | flash fiction | summer short story | street vendor story | emotional short story | best short stories online | realistic short fiction | urban life short story | inspirational short story | Luvv It Stories