My Name is Chotu. And I Sell Pani Puri.

A typical Panipuri

The Panipuri (pānīpūrī), Hindi: पानीपूरी, also known as Gol gappa, Urdu: گول گپّے‎, pani ke bataashe,Marathi: पाणीपुरी,Gujarati: પાણી પુરી, term used in Western India, phuchka (Bengali: ফুচকা), or gup chup (Oriya: ଗୁପଚୁପ୍)) is a popular street snack in the Indian Subcontinent. It consists of a round, hollow puri, fried crisp and filled with a mixture of flavored water ("pani"), tamarind chutney, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion and chickpeas. It is generally small enough to fit completely into one's mouth. It is a popular street food dish.  - Wikipedia 

Chotu

I come from a village near Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. It is a beautiful village. There is no pollution and everyone lves in harmony. I came to Bangalore 5 months back. My age is 12 and I studied till 4th grade. My elder brother brought me here saying business is good and he needs help to sell pani puris. I love my elder brother and will do anything for him. He is 18 years old. I like Bangalore and its people. All of them are friendly to me. Bangalore has beautiful weather too. It is a nice city.

There are many panipuriwallahs on this road like me. All of them are from Uttar Pradesh or Bihar. 9 of us stay in a room in Bannerghatta Road. We wake up five in the morning to make the puris, masala and pani. I come here by three in the afternoon and we stay till nine or till the puris last. By evening, the street fills up with people.

There are many North Indians in this lane (JP Nagar). Every evening, they come here to have my

A Panipuri Stall

panipuris. My panipuris have a loyal following among the Kannadigas too. By around 4-5 in the evening, my stall is crowded with office- goers, hungry school children and slum dwellers. They tuck in at least four to five plates of my panipuris. The migration workers dine on my panipuris. They lose count of the number of plates but they always leave with a satisfied smile. I get best business during weekdays after office hours when everyone feels like having a snack.

I sell both sweet and spicy puris. It is served with a dash of aloo masala, chick peas and onions. Each plate costs Rs. 15. Most of the locals like it spicy and tangy. Few adults ask for the sweet puri. But the kids love them.

During the Holi and Diwali festival, we go to our village. I miss my home a lot. I am just 12 and I am away from my folks and friends. I miss my mother the most. But I have my friends here. We stay like a family. They make sure I never feel home-sick. I want to continue my studies one day. Hopefully this year when I go back, I won't have to return. They say education is everything. I want to study hard and be an engineer one day.