NEW DELHI: If Veni Das is synonymous with anything, it is the home-cooked south Indian food that she served students eating at the Lady Shri Ram College canteen.
Then came the Covid-19 lockdown and the closing of educational institutes and Veni Aunty, as she is fondly called, was not only no longer able to cook at the canteen, but didn’t have any other sources of income.
To her gratitude, the army of students she fed weren’t willing to see her suffer.
LSR students, current and past, have created an Instagram page for Veni Aunty home-delivery service.
Das moved to Delhi from Mumbai many years ago and settled in south Delhi’s East of Kailash with her son.
“I started my life in the capital by stitching clothes at a small factory.
But I got tired of it, so much so that I just didn’t want to continue with that job,” said the woman.
“I then began working as a masseuse, which was when I met Meenakshi Gopinath, who was then the principal of LSR.
We bonded well because we were both south Indians in a north Indian city.” It was during one of her meetings with Gopinath that Das was sounded out about starting a small south Indian food section in the college canteen.
“I was very happy with the idea,” smiled the affable woman.
“I prepared a menu, and the college administration tasted my menu and visited my home to see whether I cooked in hygienic conditions.
I was able to win their approval and have been serving idli sambhar, vada sambhar and lemon and tomato rice to the students.” But the lockdown took a cruel toll on her finances.
“After so many years of regular income, I was suddenly left without a paisa in earnings.
While in college, the LSR girls were always in touch with me and many would ask me if I needed help, assuring me that I needn’t worry about anything,” she said.
“But when the college closed down due to the lockdown, I didn’t know who to contact for help.” Recently a few students approached Das for an interview for their project.
While talking to them, the topic of her lockdown problems cropped up.
“I told them about how I hadn’t been able to earn anything and was relying on my son for money,” said Das.
“You see, I’ve always wanted to avoid asking my son for financial help.
That is when the LSR girls suggested that I should start a food delivery service.” The good-hearted girls helped her open an Instagram account under the tag of Veni Aunty.
The account has her phone number and a small menu.
It has been four days since she went online.
“Many students have been ordering food from me,” beamed Das.
“Also, past students called me and said they wanted my food because they missed it from their time in college.” One of the students assisting Das said when they learnt of her predicament, they decided to start a crowdfunding relief campaign for her.
But others thought something that got her a regular income would be better than temporary monetary assistance.
Thus began the food delivery venture — and a new lease of life.