“I hail from the village called Bijaipur in Rajasthan. I left my village and migrated to Hyderabad when I was in my early teens along with my cousin who used to run a sweet shop here. Money and business were not on my mind then. I just wanted to be with him. When he told me I could do good business by selling chaat items, I immediately agreed and took a chance. Fortunately, there was no looking back.

I must say my wife is also the biggest supporter in my journey so far. She is an all-rounder and during peak hours, she sometimes comes to help me apart from handling household chores. From raising our children to managing our monthly expenses — we divide everything equally.

Today, it’s been over 30 years since I started this business and I feel blessed to have been able to establish a special place amongst my customers. They are people from all walks of life who come to my stall to relish the special chaat. I also have several loyal customers who drive up in their cars just to have our Pani Puri in the late evenings.”

• Surender Kumar, Street food vendor