What’s your religion or caste?
Yadav [Hindu].
Are you married?
Yes, I’m married.
Any kids?
Yes, I have kids.
When you first came to Delhi, were you living with anyone else?
Yes, I’ve been living with my brother-in-law.
How long has it been since you came to Delhi?
It must be - I came here in 2003.
Why did you come to Delhi?
I came to Delhi because there was no means of livelihood in the village. Then I got married. My mother had died already. My father used to work in the fields. But that wouldn’t suffice our expenses. So, I left and came to Delhi. I thought I could earn some money here. I came to Delhi because in my village we faced a lot of problems. Our farm wasn’t doing too well. My father was working alone in the fields. So, I thought if I go out and earn something, I could improve the living conditions for my family.
Your brother-in-law lived here. So, did he call you here or did you come on your own?
Yes. You can say he called me here. He told me ‘What will you do there? Come and join me here. You can share my workload and you’d get something too.’
What work do you do?
I work at a sweet shop. I help them out with the sweets that they make.
How many years has it been?
It’s been at least 10 to 11 years now.
The money you make, is it sufficient or not?
It’s enough. Whatever money I make, I just get by with it.
Do you make enough to send some money back home?
Yes, I send some money to run the house. The salary I get from here I send it home.
Had you ever done this kind of work before?
No. I had never done it.
And what work did you do before joining them?
Before this I used to study at home.
How much education have you completed?
I have completed high school.
Didn’t you think of taking up a job after that?
The reason for not taking up a job is that after my mother died, the situation of our household worsened. My mother had cancer and we needed money for that. After she died, I had two younger brothers to look after. So, I thought my life wouldn’t be any different even if I try now. Why not try and make their lives better if I can?
Could you please tell me something about your work? How do you do it? What’s your routine like?
My routine is simple. I start work and focus on that. I work on my business with ease. I use my knowledge at work.
What is your specialty? What do you make best?
I can make all of the 6-7 different kinds of sweets that I sell at the store.
And which is your favorite sweet that you think you make best?
My favorite has to be kalakand.
In your opinion, what would be the best work that you’d like to do?
I think this is the only work for me now. I have reached an age now where if I try and take up some new work, I may not succeed with it.
Say you had a chance to take up whatever you wanted to do. Then what would you do?
My only dream now is to give my children a better future.
So, how do you like your life in Delhi?
Life in Delhi is good to me. I am fortunate to have a good family. My sister who lives upstairs treats me so well. I get the love of a sister, daughter, all of them. I have all of their support. Whenever I face any trouble, everyone stands by my side.
If you ever get a chance to go back to your village, then would you like to go back?
Of course, I’ll have to go back to the village once, right?
Not just once, I’m talking about moving forever.
I don’t have a pension scheme here. As long as I can move around and get some work done, I’ll do that. If I can’t work anymore, I’ll have to go home for sure.