‘Everyone finds work, anyone can become rich in Mumbai’

Twenty-year-old Mohammed Sohail came to Mumbai three years ago from a village in Uttar Pradesh.

Mohammed Sohail, 20, spends most of his day on a bicycle, delivering orders between Mahim and Dadar.

Delivery boy Sohail Hussain works at an Irani cafe and enjoys visits the high­rises which offer a bird’s­eye view of the city. (HT Photo)

He came to Mumbai three years ago from a village in Uttar Pradesh.

“My elder brother called to say there was an opening at a cafe,” he says. “Mumbai is a city where everyone finds work and anyone can become rich, so I came to the city with my dreams.”

His biggest surprise was the number of people and cars everywhere. “I’d get lost in the beginning but now I know the lanes. I recognise customers’ voices and remember their preferences… For N, who lives near the Parsi agiary, taking change is a must or he will send me back for it. But he also tips every time. For D, the order is fixed – always kheema pav.”

Mohammed eats all his meals at the cafe, and gets to pack some to take to his room in Mahim, for dinner.

That’s a big benefit, he says, but his favourite part of the job is getting into the high-rises, where he can steal a few minutes to stop and stare. “Some buildings have 30 floors. I love to look at the city and the sea from the height, where everyone is tiny and beautiful.”