Interview: Tale of Faridabad couple who sells rajma chawal | Trending

The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown severely impacted businesses across industries. Many companies were forced to close their operations, while others had to resort to remote working or reduce their workforce to survive. Several people’s livelihoods were endangered, and some business owners were even forced to look for jobs to make ends meet. Something similar happened with this Faridabad couple, Pradeep Sachdeva and Anita Sachdeva. They had to shut down their printing business during the lockdown and look for alternative means of sustenance. The story of the couple’s journey went viral a few days ago, inspiring countless people. They have now opened up to Hindustan Times and shared how they navigated through these unprecedented times and what are their future plans.

Anita Sachdeva (left) helping Pradeep Sachdeva (right) prepare an order of rajma chawal.(HT Photo/Arfa Javaid)

Every day between 12 am and 4 pm, Pradeep and Anita set up their stall near gate number 5 of Faridabad’s Greenfield Colony. They bring steaming hot rajma and kadhi in large steel containers and rice in a steel patila (pot). They serve the orders in disposable containers and garnish them with green chutney. “We started this food stall on March 23 this year. We sell kadhi chawal and rajma chawal for Rs. 40 each,” Pradeep Sachdeva told Hindustan Times while assing his wife in preparing an order of kadhi chawal. He added, “We were running short of funds and looking for something to start with the lowest possible investment. Since we are Punjabi and Punjabi’s love rajma chawal and kadhi chawal, we started this food stall with an investment of ₹1000.”

Before starting their present food business, the couple operated a momo stall near Greenfield Colony’s gate number 4. They had to shut down their stall due to a couple of factors. “We used to sell momos and were making a good profit out of it. But we shut down the business because of two reasons. First, the police asked us to vacate the premises based on a resident’s complaint. Second was the ever-growing competition as we only specialized in momos,” shared Pradeep Sachdeva in a conversation with Hindustan Times.52-year-old Pradeep was compelled to drop out of school in class 9th after his father’s death and take over the family business at an early age. He simultaneously ran a printing business, taking orders in bulk and getting them printed at low rates. “I shut down my father’s binding business in 2000 and started the printing business. The business was doing well, but the pandemic brought it to a halt,” Pradeep told HT with a sad look on his face.Pradeep was actively seeking employment when the pandemic impacted his business. He somehow managed to land a job at a retail outlet where he was entrusted with handling billing operations. Pradeep, who does not wish to disclose the shop’s name, expressed his dissatisfaction with the meagre salary, which wasn’t enough to stay afloat. Consequently, he decided to try his hands at the food business.While articulating the financial burden of supporting his children’s education and travel expenses, Pradeep shared, “My children study in Delhi, and I have to look after their educational and travelling expenses. They take an auto from here to the metro. After deboarding the metro, they have to take another auto. This cost me around ₹300 to ₹400 per day. And inflation is only worsening this situation. When nothing worked out, I decided to start a stall of momos.” They have a son and a daughter who have appeared for class 12th and class 10th examinations this year.Hindustan Times also had a conversation with Pradeep’s wife, Anita Sachdeva. Anita, 50, studied only till class 10th. When asked how they share the food business responsibilities, Anita said, “I cook food with his (Pradeep’s) help in the morning, and then he manages the stall. I come here (at the stall) every few hours and help him prepare orders.” Anita further added that their grown-up children look after household chores.The couple shared their aspirations of expanding their food business incorporating thalis into their menu. “If everything goes as planned and we are able to build a loyal customer base, then we will sell thalis. We will add one more dish and chapatis,” shared Anita while talking to HT. Despite their eagerness to establish another stall in the evening, Pradeep and Anita shared that insufficient funds have impeded their plans.In conclusion, the couple expressed that their perseverance and diligence would yield the desired outcomes. “We are working very hard and believe that God will bestow the results. We’re just doing our bit. We are trying from our side. We remain hopeful that God will help us in our endeavors,” they said with a cheerful countenance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Arfa Javaid is a journal working with the Hindustan Times’ Delhi team. She covers trending topics, human interest stories, and viral content online.
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