Mission Delhi – Sunita, Sitaram Bazar Mission Delhi by The Delhi Walla - February 4, 20250 One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] Her life is hectic. She gets up early in the morning, prepares the household for the new day. Then she marches out to relaunch herself as a hyperlocal entrepreneur. Sunita administers a paratha establishment, close to her home. Her stall in Old Delhi’s Sitaram Bazar consists of a simple cart. This early afternoon, the cart is crowded with a two-burner gas range, a couple of metal pans—one is filled with spiced aloo mash (paratha stuffing!), the other pan is covered with a lid. A platter is filled with kneaded atta. A plastic box is crammed with sliced onions and hari mirchi pickle. Then there’s the chakla-belan to roll out the parathas. Sunita’s stall was founded more than 20 years ago by mother-in-law Geeta. “My saas expired four years ago,” she says. Clad in a blue sari and cardigan, she is rolling out a paratha, rather slowly, “because no customer is around.” The market lane is momentarily deserted. “I married some 20 years ago, and soon after the wedding started to assist my saas with her cart. She was a very hardworking woman. Everyday we saas-bahu would start the stall together in the morning, and together we would close it for the day.” Sunita’s husband operates an auto rickshaw, while her two sons are school students. Her daughter, the eldest child, works in a Kinari Bazar shop. Now a stall regular approaches the stall. Though much older, Usha Mittal addresses Sunita respectfully as bhabi. Sunita laughs—“Yes, some call me bhabi, some call me didi, some call me aunty.” The elderly woman is very chatty, pattering on endlessly: “I had gone to the mandir…. on walking back home, I started feeling a little hungry so I thought why not get an aloo paratha packed for home… Sunita, don’t forget to pack the achar..” Today, one of Sunita’s sons didn’t go to the school, and is standing beside her. As the elderly woman continues to talk, Sunita tells the son in a low voice to get three kilo atta from home. Now an elderly man stops by. Sunita addresses him as Mullah ji. He attests for the excellence of Sunita’s paratha and praises her “hardworking nature.” By half past three, Sunita shall serve the last of the day’s parathas, after which shall park the cart beside a shop. “On reaching home, I’ll first make chai for myself, after which I’ll lie down on the bed to rest for some time, then I’ll start to cook dinner for the family.. I will go to sleep by ten.” And tomorrow she will again get up early in the morning, prepare the household for the new day, after which she will march out to reopen her stall. [This is the 606th portrait of Mission Delhi project] FacebookX Related Related posts: Mission Delhi – Sunita Kushwaha, Wazirabad City Food – Sitaram’s Jaljeera Cart, Sadar Bazar Mission Delhi – Sunita Pandit, Palika Bazaar Park City Food – Netra-Geeta’s Stuffed Paratha, Sadar Bazar, Gurgaon Mission Delhi – Raj Kumar, Sadar Bazar