Mission Delhi – Jyoti Rawat, Connaught Place & Faridabad
One of the one percent in 13 million.
[Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi]
When Jyoti Rawat squabbles with her younger brother, their parents have been known to intervene. “Don’t fight with her!” they warn him. “She’s our rock!”
As the personable barista in a coffee shop in Central delhi’s Connaught Place, her earnings keep the home running smoothly. Earlier there were economic concerns. But now, “I even manage to save some for myself,” says the 24-year-old.
Because of the shifts, she’s obliged to wake up at 4.30am at her family home in faraway Faridabad while most of the world is yet to stir. “Mummy gives me some chai and hot parathas and then I rush to the Metro” for the 45-minute trip to Janpath. She walks the rest of the way and is uniformed by 7am.
Ms Rawat is back home by 5pm, driven by the knowledge that her earnings not only supplement the family income but also enhance her brother’s career prospects. After finishing school, she had planned to join a teacher training course but couldn’t afford it. Eventually, Ms Rawat enrolled in a correspondence course — while also launching her barista career.
The young woman now shifts the conversation to the persistent power crisis in their neighbourhood. “And now that summer’s starting so I bought an inverter with my money… Mummy-Papa were thrilled!”
[This is the 155th portrait of Mission Delhi project]
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