Bantala: Unlike some of his friends, he never ran after jobs. Never did he think of going out of the state as a migrant labourer. Instead, he tried his luck by setting up a betel shop with a meager Rs 120 at the village square and it clicked.
An epitome of hard work, strong determination and honesty, Girish Chandra Sahu of Sankhapur village under Bantala police station in Angul district is 48-years-old. The small shop he had founded 27 years ago has gone a long way in improving the financial condition of his family. With the earning from this shop, he has got his two brothers married, bought a piece of land and constructed a house on it, bearing the education cost of his elder son Sonask Prasad Sahu who is pursuing his Plus III at Ravenshaw University and preparing for IAS and his younger son Deba Prasad studying in Class VIII.
Girish has everything going for him which any school dropout like him dreams of except perhaps his earlier struggling days.
Girish is the eldest of five siblings. He still remembers that he was not bad at academics. “In spite of poverty, I passed Class VIII from Bantala High School. I secured good numbers yet my father Benudhar expressed his inability to continue my education. I can never forget that day, leaving studies midway hurt me deeply,” recollects Girish while attending his customers.
Days passed on. Being the eldest son, he could truly understand the hardship that his father was going through to keep the pot boiling. “It was then I decided to open a betel shop at the village square. I had Rs 70. With getting Rs 50 from my father, I started my shop with mere Rs 120 in the year 1993,” he says.
Initially I started my shop with one ‘koda’ of betel leaves (20 nos), some paan masalas, few biscuits and chocolates. I could hardly sell the one ‘koda’ of betel leaves those days,” he narrates.
However, his luck started to shine after some days. His customers started liking his paan. And just after two months, even 30 ‘koda’ of betel leaves fell short.
“Now my business has grown exponentially. Presently, I have two hundred permanent customers. Everyday my first priority is to prepare ‘paans’ for these permanent customers. But yes, I never neglect those customers who visit my shop occasionally,” he adds.
“Now my hard work, determination and honesty are paying off. I believe if one tries something honestly, success will be no far off for them,” he sums up with three to four customers still hearing him.
They said they have never seen him neglecting his business. “Punctuality is the fulcrum of his successful business.”
Post News Network
