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30 years, 1 room, no help: The touching story of Howrah’s 70-year-old Pice hotel owner who sleeps on plywood
The video gently follows Ghosh through her daily routine. She heads out to buy groceries, cooks simple meals of rice and curry, washes utensils, cleans the shop and serves customers, all without any assistance.
According to Chatterjee, things became harder for Ghosh after the lockdown
A moving video posted by content creator Aradhana Chatterjee has brought attention to the life of a 70-year-old woman running a tiny roadside eatery in Howrah, West Bengal, a space where survival and self-respect quietly coexist. Chatterjee, who describes herself as a storyteller on Instagram, introduced her followers to Deepali Ghosh, who has been running the Pice hotel for nearly 30 years. After losing her husband, the eatery became her only means of livelihood, and it remains so to this day.
The video gently follows Ghosh through her daily routine. She heads out to buy groceries, cooks simple meals of rice and curry, washes utensils, cleans the shop and serves customers, all without any assistance. Every part of the business, from preparation to closing, rests on her shoulders.
What makes her story even more poignant is that the shop is also her home. In one corner of the dim, worn-out space, she sleeps on a small piece of plywood. The walls are blackened with soot, utensils are old and dented, and the roof leaks. The cramped structure clearly shows years of neglect and struggle, yet it continues to function because she refuses to give up.
According to Chatterjee, things became harder after the lockdown. Ghosh’s hearing has deteriorated, and despite her age and health concerns, she continues to work every day to afford food and medicines. She has no family to rely on. Moving into an old age home is not an option she wants to consider, she would rather earn her own living and keep her shop alive.
Watch the video:
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In her caption, Chatterjee urged people to step in and support her. “We will be giving this little shop a makeover since this is where she stays and runs her business from. Let us all come together and make this happen. So that she can have the minimum number of customers to sustain herself and the shop.”
The response online was immediate and heartfelt. Many viewers called her journey inspiring and asked how they could contribute. “Hey please send me the location I would love to personally meet her and donate as well,” one user wrote.
Another commented, “And absolutely let’s rebuild her shop. I am in. Please let me know whatever is needed.”
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A third added, “At the age of 70, this elderly woman continues to support herself with dignity and hard work. She has never depended on anyone and has chosen to earn her living independently till her last breath. Truly inspiring.”
Others reflected on their own lives after watching the clip. “Sometimes we should appreciate about what we have!” one person shared.
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