By Nayan Sakhuja
New Delhi, July 20 (IANS) A star-spangled short green kurta, brass bangles, a song dedicated to her by an itinerant musician and some bargaining too. US Secretary of State Hillary was rushed but packed it all in when she visited Dilli Haat, the bazaar-style shopping arcade and food court in the capital.

“She purchased a hand-embroidered short green kurta to take back as a memory from India. She emphasised size 44 as she wished to wear it with jeans,” said a smiling Shashi Kumari, the shopkeeper at Dilli Haat who sold the piece to the visiting dignitary.

“I have never seen such a big personality talking so politely. She saw many kurtas and tops but quickly settled on the green one. It was a simple piece with four stars on the neck. We sold her the kurta for Rs.150. The best part was she was smiling all the time,” Kumari told IANS.

The kurtas were made by refugees from Myanmar and Afghanistan and marketed by the NGO called Koshish.

Clinton had squeezed barely 30 minutes from her packed schedule to visit the Haat after work was over Sunday evening.

Showing a penchant for bargaining, Clinton also purchased brass bangles at a bargained price of Rs. 200. “She bought four bangles from my shop. I quoted a price of Rs.250 but she paid Rs.200,” said Deepak Pachauri, the shop owner, proud of his sale.

Pachauri said two Indian women who escorted her helped her in the bargaining.

Clinton was also curious about a polished old gramophone. “She just came to my shop to ask the price of gramophone that was for Rs.2,500. But she left without purchasing it,” Taj, a shopkeeper who stocks brass items, said.

She was charmed by a man who sold sarangis, a stringed musical instrument. “I played ‘Preet jahan ki reet jahan’ for Hillaryji. I dedicated the song to her and she liked it very well,” said Rajendra Singh, who has been selling sarangis for over five years.

“She listened to me sincerely and lauded my dedication to her. I was mesmerised by her simplicity and politeness. She said I played the sarangi well. People with her photographed me along with her when I was playing the song,” added Singh.

Clinton entered Dilli Haat through the back gate, which was opened only for her and spent less than half-an-hour going through the shops and stalls.

Said Kishan Lal, a security guard: “We were informed about her arrival to Dilli Haat just few hours before she came. We had no role to play as there was Delhi Police with her.

“We were ordered to close the main entry gate till the time she was inside. The people who were already inside had no problems and continued with their shopping.”