“The weather seems cloudy again. I hope it doesn’t rain much. I will have to close my stall early if it does. This is the problem that roadside vendors like me face during monsoon – the bad weather. Anyways, would you like to have a plate of special bhel mix with a dash of lime and freshly boiled chana in it? This has been my livelihood for the last 20 years.

I prepare the masala mix at home and stock the items fresh every day. I clean and slice vegetables such as tomato, cucumber, coriander, and onion fresh and place them in a container.

Most of my customers like the masala bhel as it is tasty and goes well as an evening snack. It’s rather filling too. A plate of masala bhel mix only costs 20 rupees. My customers are mostly those who go out shopping. They stop to have a quick evening bite to help beat their cravings. I also have quite a few regulars who know me by name too. They call me Trivedi Chacha.

I am here daily from 2 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. As I reside in Nampally, I set my mini stall on Tilak Road here.

Talking about my background, I studied until class 10 and moved to Delhi after marriage. I used to sell toys near India Gate for my survival before moving to Hyderabad in the year 1995. I took up employment in a company but as the income was less, I decided to start this stall on my own. My business is good when the weather is pleasant and weekends are the best days for business.

I have three children. My eldest son has completed his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and is working. My daughter has also completed her graduation. She got married three years ago and lives with her family now. My youngest son is pursuing his B.Com. I hope he gets settled in life soon.

My focus right now is to keep putting food on the table for my family and take care of my elderly parents too. I will continue to work hard as long as God gives me the strength.”