By D N Singh (Exclusive)
I was on a visit to the local town development office known as Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) for a personal work. As I came out I thought of a tea at a counter across the, bang opposite BDA side.
When I reached the small eatery without even a banner or board, an young lady asked me in sign language as what I needed.
Before I could answer an appetising auroma was flooding out of the small encloseure. I asked if I can have a bite before tea in similar gestures, she responded in signs that it would tale time.
On query I came to know and I could see about 7 to 8 young ladies with different disabilities are running the eatery. Each has a problem of deformity.
I wanted to talk to few of them but they refused to be photographed or for video.
So I decided to talk to one male sitting at the other end for details.
He said that the eatery is run by all girls or women with some kind of deformity. They cook working lunch both veg and non-veg besides tea and snacks and manage everything themselves.
“Initially they were reluctant as some visitors had problems in communication and some even jeered at the ladies . But slowly it eased out and the ladies at the small eatery became popular and their dishes became the USP for all. in offices around.
Sarojini (name changed ) is an estranged house wife and afterwards she joined this un-named eatery as the nodal communicator although she is deaf and dumb.
Sailaja also is differently-able as she hardly can walk on her feet but is the main cook for non-veg dishes.
They feel that the look of the eatery required some branding but the office premise where it is located needs approval of authorities.
Snigdha was a victim of torture in her in-laws as somehow she lost her eye-sight in a human induced crime.
They were all from different backgrounds and share one thing common and that is need and a sustenance which they believe to have achieved over last few years.
Nearby there is a splendid expanse around but they all need something hover over their hangout so that people can sit and relish the foods. It reminisces the stand-apart Sheroes Hnagout in Agra run by a score of acid-victims which has found itself as a topic for a film helmed by Deepika Padukone.
