Meet Anju Verma, aka Kachori wali amma, who started late-night shop at 60 after husband's death, now earns...
Anju Verma earned the title "Kachori wali Amma" by opening her small store every night to sell scrumptious "kachoris" with fierce resilience and a commitment to support her family.
The saying, "where there is a will, there is a way" is most relevant in Anju Verma's remarkable story of overcoming hardships in her life despite being 60 years old. Anju Verma earned the title "Kachori wali Amma" by opening her small store every night to sell scrumptious "kachoris" with fierce resilience and a commitment to support her family.
Death of her husband put a strain on finances
Five years ago, her husband Vinod Verma, the family's only source of income, passed away from a heart attack, leaving her grieving and unable to support their growing family of five. Anju (60), who didn't like to admit defeat, opted to go on with her husband's "kachori" (snack) business.
Every night at ten o'clock, she opens up shop on the vacant platforms situated in front of shuttered stores and sells hot "kachoris" for thirty rupees each, topped with potato filling, soya beans, and garlic sauce. People wait in queue to taste the kachoris and purchase them for home, especially during the winter and monsoon seasons.
How much 'kachori wali amma' earns?
Every day, the old woman makes about Rs 2,000. When asked why she decided to open her business at night, Anju, who resides in front of Sunehri Masjid close to Kotwali in Shahjahanpur, responds that the major factor was the lack of a suitable shop or the capacity to rent one.
Got her daughters married through the kachori business
There are a total of five people in her family including a son and three daughters. With the money from her kachori business, she claims she was able to marry one of her daughters. Her 20-year-old youngest child is a college student.
Anju describes her everyday schedule as follows: "I close my shop after 3 am and go to bed around 5 am. Before opening the store at 10 p.m., I get up in the afternoon to buy the veggies and make the dough and stuffing.
Authorities help 'Kachori wali amma'
"I am a huge admirer of Kachori wali Amma," says Abhinav Gupta, who is the director of a social group in the city. He added, "She cleanly prepares the meal, and I frequently go there with my friends to eat fresh kachoris".
According to S Anand, the superintendent of police, specific directives have been provided to guarantee protection for the setup. "It is a major thing for a woman to open a store at night. Police officers have been told to make sure she and her store are secure, he added.
Anil Gupta, the district general secretary of the BJP and a frequent client, claims that every time he travels by the neighbourhood, he waits for Amma's Kachori Shop to open so that he may enjoy the kachoris. School principal Anurag Aggarwal said that if he feels like dining out, he exclusively goes to Kachori wali Amma. She serves kachoris that are both delicious and affordably priced. Even poor people may get a hearty dinner at her restaurant, he continues.
(With inputs from PTI)