Food Cart Vendor, 14th Cross, Malleswaram

Born and Pulled Back

My name is Arun Kumar. I can't say how many years I've been working here in Malleswaram, but I am very familiar with this place. I was born here. People from here, wherever they may be—any country, any place—they will refer to it as "namma Malleswaram." Their first thought will always be "My Malleswaram."

I studied elsewhere, and we had a rented house, but the feeling of this place pulled me here. This area is such that people don't leave it.

A Golden Childhood

My childhood was good, ours was a golden life. Nowadays, for children, everything is a "digital life." We used to play outdoor games, and we had excellent friends. Our parents also brought us up with a lot of freedom, not like today, when kids are often stuck inside their houses. We used to complain in front of our parents, fight a lot, and cause trouble, but that was a form of entertainment for us as well. That life was nice.

Health-Focused Cooking

What makes my food cart special is that I am focused on health. Most people now worry about health—that is an extra question for people. I use homemade recipes to recreate my gobi masala. I have not converted a foreign recipe but made it naati style. I have observed what my father, mother, ajja, and ajji used to eat all these years. We must pass that to the next generation, because food habits have become bad these days. Elders always say that if the food is good, there will be no illness. It is simple. I follow that with my cooking as well.

In Vijayanagar, I used to go to a food cart owned by a man called uncle Krishnamurti, and say "give gobi, give gobi." He would give us two dry gobi pieces, and I enjoyed it this way. It's funny to see where life takes you—I never thought I would be making gobi myself.

When Education Had to Wait

My father had financial problems. We were three kids, a family of five. We took up a house in Vijayanagar, but my father couldn't pay the required sum, so he made me start working. My friends have studied—one has gone to the US, one to the UK. My education remained incomplete. I was stubborn and said I wanted to study, but the situation was difficult. My parents wanted to educate my siblings, and sent me to work in order to help the family. Life went on that way, and I was able to study only till the seventh grade.

A Bond Beyond Caste

At the place I used to work, I got introduced to one uncle, Thalakad Subramaniam, who was a Brahmin. He sent me to English-speaking classes, so I picked up the language a bit over there. He would advise me to read even if I don't understand. It was hard, especially for a Kannada medium student like me, but I managed. I was given the promise of going to the US if I learnt English properly; he was willing to sponsor my education there. I even went to Chennai for my visa, but to my bad luck, when the World Trade Centre was attacked in 2011, no one was allowed inside the country.

My uncle is no more, but I have a lot of respect for him—he was my God. I come from a lower caste background, and although he was a Brahmin, we had a very special bond. It makes me very happy to tell this story because he was such a good person.

Finding Satisfaction

I am satisfied with the work I do. I can't do anything about it now, even if I wanted to. That time is long gone—travelling to America and all. It doesn't worry me anymore. I have been on this journey of work for fourteen years, but this cart is only eight months old. I used to work in Raghavendra Cafe in 2012. There was a big banyan tree there. I had seen the concept of "South Indian Chinese" food there, which I liked, and incorporated it into my cooking. I had celebrity customers like Puneet Rajkumar visiting my cart—it was going well, but due to commitments and other savings, it became difficult to manage. I rented this cart later on.

A Beautiful Place, Always

I have a lot of thoughts about Malleswaram. It is, and always has been, a beautiful place. The trees here remind me of the chapars [tents] that we use for celebrations and weddings—streets lined with greenery. This is only found here, not in any other part of the city. Yes, feelings and people may have changed, but this place is the same. The rule of life is to embrace change; it is required, so we must let it happen.