Student who turns street food vendor by night

Setting up shop daily isn’t much of a chore. Madhav has limited props for the night — three large buckets and two medium ones, each of which comprises some home cooked Indian cuisine; a few five-litre water containers and 200 thermocol plates.

“Nearly two years ago, my uncle, a rickshaw driver in the city, suggested the idea of starting something to cater to rickshaw drivers who work late night,” Madhav recalled. The youth lives with his mother and sister in a slum in Khar Danda area and moved to Mumbai in 2011.

At the eatery, on a footpath in Linking Road, Madhav works through the night. And now it is a spot where many customers, mainly drivers, converge. Here they play the latest Bhojpuri or Bollywood numbers while jousting on politics back in the heartland. “My family is from Bihar, a village ahead of Patna. The driver who come here are mostly migrants from UP and Bihar and we all communicate with each other in our local languages. It is a very homely environment and we don’t feel like outsiders. I’ve even been nicknamed Murli for reasons still unknown to me,” Madhav said.

A few Bihari drivers who land up to eat here call themselves “Patna Party”. For a wholesome meal cooked home style, he charges Rs 40.

“My mother and sister prepare the food at home. I help but my main job is to feed them and get the money. Two of these large buckets have rice and dal, and the other ones have sabzi and about 300 rotis. The rest contain some pickle made in large quantity,” he said.

Most of those who patronise Madhav’s stall prefer to eat in rickshaws or on gunny bags. Some of them opt for takeaways.

As the night wears on and footfalls fade, Madhav sweeps the area and tells his customers to dispose of their plates in a dustbin which he carts from home. Customers keep coming thanks to word of mouth and Madhav says that he is fortunate that there has never been a dip in number, regardless of the day of the week.

“I am now giving my 12th standard exams. So during the day, I study and play cricket at Khar Gymkhana but I’m usually preoccupied in my mind thinking of the people I will have to feed. I make nearly Rs 5,000 every day,” he says.

What he has set sights on is an engineering degree. Which means he will have to continue doing this for a few more years. “This is my life now but I want a good job after I complete my studies. Bawaarchi hoon par bawaarchi nahi rehna chahta hoon,” he says.