Manini Sheker

Anmol, 17, slips Rs500 into his pocket as he swaggers down the stairs on bowed legs, after escorting American tourists to the pizzeria in Assi. Anmol reads faces to survive. If a tourist has a good face, he approaches, tests the waters in his broken English, and buys them a chai (tea). “Trust is most important because tourists don’t trust you fast,” explains Anmol.