'My toys shop was to open on Monday'

Virendra Mali, 19, was excited about his new toys shop that he was going to open to customers on Monday. He had taken a loan of Rs one lakh from his acquaintances to start his business and believed he would be able to return the money once he made some money from the business. What Mali never anticipated was a calamity.

Virendra Mali, 19, was excited about his new toys shop that he was going to open to customers on Monday. He had taken a loan of Rs one lakh from his acquaintances to start his business and believed he would be able to return the money once he made some money from the business. What Mali never anticipated was a calamity.

HT Image

Saturday's fire that gutted Manish Market, where Mali had rented a shop, has left him shattered.

On Friday, Mali had deposited toys worth Rs one lakh in his shop.

"When I learnt about the fire, I rushed to the spot. It took me 15 minutes to reach Manish Market from my house in Dadar and during that time I was just praying that it was not what I was thinking. But when I reached there, I realised what I had truly feared had happened," said Mali. "I wanted to run inside and do something, but the fire had done its job."

Mali said he does not have a source of income and is anxious about how he is going to return the borrowed money. "I don't know what I am going to do. I don't have enough money to start the business again. How am I to repay the loan now?" he said.