Clinking utensils, the mild brewing of tea, and the energetic chatter of individuals eagerly awaiting their meals create a vibrant atmosphere inside the eatery. Usually, the whole house is imbued with the tantalising aroma of scrumptious meals being ready within the kitchen. Nevertheless, this pleasant scent typically goes unnoticed by prospects whose noses are sometimes buried within the books they’re studying.
With essentially the most cheerful and wrinkly smile, 74-year-old Bhimabai Jondhale observes the whole commotion. “I really feel a way of delight once I watch all my prospects studying keenly, nearly forgetting what they had been right here for – meals,” she shares in a dialog with The Higher India.
Fondly often called Aaji, Bhimabai has been working her e book restaurant, ‘Ajjichya Pustakancha Resort‘ (Grandmother’s Resort with Books), since 2010, serving not solely scrumptious meals but additionally providing free books to learn.
The place boasts a depository of over 5,000 books in three completely different languages — Marathi, Hindi, and English. Nevertheless, the origin story of this e book resort will certainly soften your coronary heart!
For the timeless love for studying
If it’s your birthday or anniversary, you might be certain to not depart and not using a free e book from Aaji Resort. Positioned in Ozar, Nashik district, Bhimabai’s son helps her within the operations.
Whereas the resort is perhaps flourishing with colors and ample seating areas at present, it was solely a makeshift spot for tea greater than a decade in the past.
“It was the one means for my mom to fill our stomachs. Whereas she is a optimistic lady at present, she has had her justifiable share of struggles again within the day,” says Pravin Jondhale, Bhimabai’s son.
Recalling her youth, Bhimabai shares that she was merely at school 6 when she was married off and despatched to a small village close to Nashik.
“As a baby, I used to be a really eager observer. I used to like studying, and books had been my greatest good friend. Nevertheless, once I bought married, every part modified,” she says.
Away from dwelling and every part she cherished, Bhimabai discovered herself alone, tending to a household.
“My husband was an alcoholic who spent most of his time wandering round. Not solely did I’ve to care for the house, but additionally the farms,” she says, including, “When my daughter grew to become just a little older, she would go to the farms with me.”
Along with her kids rising up, she needed to ship them to high school. “We had been all the time financially weak, however my husband’s dependancy made issues worse. He, in a state of intoxication, both offered off his land or gambled it away,” she says.
Left and not using a means to feed her household, Bhimabai would work for hours in numerous individuals’s fields to deliver meals to the desk. “I used to be fed up with the life we had. My son was going to high school and had picked up a newspaper distribution job to assist me,” she shares.
Pravin elaborates on his mom’s wrestle from his perspective, “All of the relations had been all the time making an attempt to have their means along with her. My father was a father solely in identify. He by no means took any duties. Like my mom, I had a zeal to get an schooling. I bought a job at a newspaper distributor and funded my schooling myself,” he says.
There was just one escape from the difficult life – transfer to the town. “It was like a beacon of hope for us. I’d in all probability discover some work there, and my mom could be away from her relations. So, we determined to dump no matter was left of our land and moved to the town,” he says.
In 2008, the household moved to the town. Pravin had already began a publishing firm and days had been wanting higher.
“As a result of some private causes, I needed to shut down the publishing firm, and we had a inventory of Marathi language books with us. My mom and sister didn’t know a lot past farming, in order that they began a makeshift tea stall to satisfy our bills,” he says.
No telephones, solely books!
In 2010, Bhimabai, alongside along with her daughter, laid the muse of what’s at present Ajjichya Pustakancha Resort.
Whereas the household moved, the taunts and harsh phrases by no means stopped following her. “They might speak about how the ladies of the home mustn’t wander round promoting tea; she ought to care for the home. However I didn’t care about these taunts anymore,” she says.
“My kids and I slowly began to make use of financial savings to broaden the tea stall and make it an eatery. What I seen was that whereas an individual would wait for his or her meals, they might all the time be buried of their telephone,” she says.
“They might not converse with one another however would preserve scrolling on their telephone. I discovered the behavior very absurd and needed to do one thing about it,” she says.
As a girl who was keen on studying however by no means bought the possibility to, she determined to reintroduce the behavior of studying to individuals.
“Books are our greatest associates. They’re your companions in each scenario. We began off with simply 25 books in a stand within the eatery and it saved rising. We began encouraging individuals to choose up a e book and skim whereas we prepare dinner their meal,” she says.
“By the point the meals would arrive at their desk, they might have already reached chapter two of the e book,” she provides.
Folks began to understand her initiative and phrase unfold. The e book assortment which began with solely 25 books has now grown to 5,000 books.
“Along with books within the eatery, we additionally give free books on particular events akin to Ladies’s Day and Republic Day to provoke a behavior of studying amongst individuals. We even have began giving books as presents to hospitals,” he says.
“For individuals ready on the hospital for a cherished one or for their very own therapy, we hope our books will assist. My mom believes that medicines deal with your physique however books heal your soul,” he provides.
The eatery has additionally since saved on rising and other people have donated books to Aaji’s assortment.
She expresses, “I really feel delighted once I see individuals studying books on the eatery. All my life, I’ve struggled to have a secure life, however what saved me going was my kids. For a girl who was all the time keen on studying however by no means bought to, once I see younger kids come to the eatery and skim, I really feel like I’ve succeeded in my initiative,” she says.
If in case you have spare books that you simply need to donate to the eatery, you possibly can attain out to Pravin at 9922946622
(Edited by Padmashree Pande; All photos credit score: Pravin)
