India, April 22 -- Wrapped in a wet red cloth, the earthen lota is perched atop the cycle's back-carrier. He himself is sitting beside the cycle, on the pave, hands clasped patiently. A figure in throughout white, the venerable Shiv Shankar hawks a drink that is rarely sighted in Delhi streets. It is kanji. Explaining that he makes the drink from fermented rye, the street hawker clarifies that his drink is sans the gaajar-which is curious, since carrot is considered to be an essential ingredient for kanji.

His steen voice moderated by a gentler demeanour, Shiv Shankar gradually lets go of his starchy guardedness as he continues talking. Unlike most hawkers, he didn't come to the city from some far-flung place to make a living. He was bor...