HYDERABAD: Hanif Ahmed, a septuagenarian bangle seller, has a mini fan fit in one of the corners of his crammed-up-yet-quaint shop. During May, when the maximum temperature used to hit 40 degree Celsius, the tin-thatched roof of his shop made it unbearable inside. However, Ahmed, a rozedaar despite numerous ailments, used to stay put in his shop with one hand usually wiping the sweat and the other adjusting the fan.
Fast forward to June, Ahmed can now be seen relaxing with a smoke in his hand and attending to his customers. The drastic change in temperature in Telangana since Monsoon hit the state has provided relief to rozedars. Since June 7, the day monsoon hit the State, temperatures have plummeted to an average of a 36 degree maximum and 24 degree minimum.
“May was unbearable,” said Ahmed on Monday. “The heat often made me nauseous but it’s the will of Allah that has kept pushing me through. The past few days have been a relief for us,” he added. While few devouts choose not to work during Ramzan — as prescribed in the Quran — for most working-class people that’s not an option.
Apart from rozedars, the temperature dip has also provided relief to Ramzan shoppers. Mirza Baig, a garment shop owner, said, “Unlike the past few weeks, wherein crowd, in a bid to escape the heat, was usually found in evenings, there has been a lot more business activity during day time.”