Turkish Delight

Confidential Instructions for the Buyer

It is almost closing time and you are meandering though the countless alleys in the
Grand Bazaar, wolfing down your last packet of the gummy Turkish Delights. Since
your first day in Turkey a week ago, you have been feasting on them daily and
looking to grab a few more packets before you make your way out of the bazaar to
catch your late night Bosphorus cruise – a gala evening of wining and dining to mark
the celebratory final evening in the delightful city of Istanbul. After all, other than
Baklava and Kunefe, these have been your favourites and not just because they remind
you of The Chronicles of Narnia.

You stop by a shop that is still open and the owner seems to be in no hurry to pull the
shutters down. You ogle at the platters full of these delectable Ottoman treats in
rainbow colours, and are struggling to make your mind up about which flavour to
choose – rose, bergamot orange, lemon - the choices are endless. While lost in
thought, you stare unseeing at the hypnotic patterns of light from the Byzantine
mosaic lanterns on sale in the shop, transported to a bygone era, dreaming of
opulence. Suddenly, you are struck by a lightning bolt of realization and brought back
from your reverie, and remember that you were supposed to pick one up for your
friend Nammy. You’ve been on holiday with a bunch of friends but unfortunately
Nammy could not join you because of the bungled-up dates on her visa. Till the very
last moment, you all were hopeful that she’ll get her visa in time to make the trip. She
did receive it in the nick of time only to find that the travel dates were wrong.
Saddened by this sudden spanner in the works, you promised to bring her some
memorabilia from Istanbul, and after much persuasion, she asked for a blue-coloured
Turkish lamp.

Now here you are, at the fag end of your trip with a suitcase full of goodies but no
blue lantern. If you don’t carry one, Nammy would be deeply disappointed and you
don’t want that if it can be avoided. The lanterns in the shop are beautiful and you are
mesmerised by the small blue table-top lamp. You have seen similar lamps in
Crawford market in Mumbai and guess that it should cost you around 3,000 INR or
approximately 325 Turkish Lira. You know that Grand Bazaar is infamous for its
inflated prices and a haven for bargainers. But given the circumstances and your guilt-
ridden conscience, you are willing to shell out up to 4,600 INR or 500 Lira. This is
really your last chance to buy one if you can since you have a very early flight back to
Mumbai the next morning and a Bosphorus cruise in an hour. You have about 10
minutes to try and buy one.