The way it was

There has always been a connection between the consuming consumer and the selling vendor. Over a period of time this connection has changed as of course the modalities of these connections have changed with time.

Modern technology has made a big contribution to this change, making this relationship between customer and vendor faster and more transparent as technology improved ways of communication.

People from the younger generation ask me how it was in the early days of Pakistan which were several decades ago, and I tell them that it was nothing less than a fairy tale.

At that time too there was direct connection between consumer and customer, but it was not so sophisticated and high-tech as it is today. A very basic example of connect between consumer and vendor can be recalled in as basic an act as baking bread for evening dinner which was accomplished with the help of the local oven or as it was called Tandoor.

My mother would make mounds of flour well whipped and ready to bake and arrange them in a tray for me to take them to the local oven to be baked by the owner who was at that time of the evening surrounded by children and adults with similar requests and some with a better connection jumping the line though discreetly to get their baked bread to the waiting family at home.

Why this roundabout way to get your evening meal? The answer is simple. There was no gas available door to door as it is available today even though this facility is now fast receding and resulting in a rapid reconnect between customer and vendor in the shape of suppliers of gas cylinders. So how did the people in early days of our country cook their meals and offer hot tea to guests.

The main fuel available was coal and wood and for its supply every locality had an adequate supply of these items through huge yards full of these items. These dispensers of coal and wood were called Talls and many of them provided home-delivery service much like the home deliveries we now receive of nearly every commodity through the online selling and buying options. For the housewives of those times, it was an arduous task to first get the coal or wood to ignite and then cook amidst the smoke posing serious hazards to their health.

One thing though the food cooked slowly on coal or wood had an astoundingly good taste. No wonder there were few if no visits to hotels and restaurants and actually going out to eat was not very popular in those days. The only time the family went out to eat was to a wedding and that was not too frequent as again in those days invites to dinners even in marriages were limited and only close relatives and close friends were invited to these events.

Today the scenario has changed totally and eating out or ordering food from the numerous suppliers is a frequent indulgence. This now involves the great network of home delivery manned by dedicated souls on motorcycles delivering food to every corner of a city. Many of them swift and intelligent but that cannot be said for the entire lot. Some of these are either just careless or pure dumb as even though they are provided with full addresses and even landmarks that you cannot miss they blunder about calling the customer every five minutes to seek guidance. Eventually when they do arrive at your doorstep, they will ring your neighbour’s doorbell. Alas, there is no cure for stupidity.

As we advance in our means for communication we are losing in the field of resources. Already there is shortage of gas and housewives have to try and catch its flow at odd hours of the day and night. For the delivery boys fuel has become a challenge, and they have to be careful of the orders they accept. Everyone has to be careful and move with the times. Our ancestors lived simple lives within their means. Maybe it’s time for us to do the same.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026