Clinking utensils, the mild brewing of tea, and the energetic chatter of individuals eagerly awaiting their meals create a vibrant atmosphere throughout the eatery. Usually, the whole house is imbued with the tantalising aroma of scrumptious meals being ready within the kitchen. Nonetheless, 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 pleasure once I watch all my prospects studying keenly, nearly forgetting what they have been right here for – meals,” she shares in a dialog with The Higher India.
Fondly often called Aaji, Bhimabai has been operating her guide 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. Nonetheless, the origin story of this guide resort will certainly soften your coronary heart!
For the timeless love for studying
If it’s your birthday or anniversary, you’re certain to not go away and not using a free guide from Aaji Resort. Positioned in Ozar, Nashik district, Bhimabai’s son helps her within the operations.
Whereas the resort is likely to be 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 method for my mom to fill our stomachs. Whereas she is a constructive girl 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 toddler, I used to be a really eager observer. I used to like studying, and books have been my greatest good friend. Nonetheless, once I received married, all the pieces modified,” she says.
Away from dwelling and all the pieces 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 deal with the house, but additionally the farms,” she says, including, “When my daughter turned slightly older, she would go to the farms with me.”
Together with her kids rising up, she needed to ship them to highschool. “We have been all the time financially weak, however my husband’s dependancy made issues worse. He, in a state of intoxication, both bought 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 several 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 highschool 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 have been all the time making an attempt to have their method along with her. My father was a father solely in title. He by no means took any tasks. Like my mom, I had a zeal to get an schooling. I received 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 might most likely discover some work there, and my mom can be away from her relations. So, we determined to unload 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 have been trying higher.
“Resulting from 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, so 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 deal with 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 observed was that whereas an individual would wait for his or her meals, they’d all the time be buried of their cellphone,” she says.
“They might not converse with one another however would hold scrolling on their cellphone. 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 received the prospect to, she determined to reintroduce the behavior of studying to individuals.
“Books are our greatest pals. They’re your companions in each scenario. We began off with simply 25 books in a stand within the eatery and it stored rising. We began encouraging individuals to choose up a guide and skim whereas we cook dinner their meal,” she says.
“By the point the meals would arrive at their desk, they’d have already reached chapter two of the guide,” she provides.
Folks began to understand her initiative and phrase unfold. The guide assortment which began with solely 25 books has now grown to five,000 books.
“Along with books within the eatery, we additionally give free books on particular events equivalent to Girls’s Day and Republic Day to provoke a behavior of studying amongst individuals. We even have began giving books as items to hospitals,” he says.
“For individuals ready on the hospital for a cherished one or for their very own remedy, 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 stored on rising and folks 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 stored me going was my kids. For a lady who was all the time keen on studying however by no means received 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 just need to donate to the eatery, you’ll be able to attain out to Pravin at 9922946622
(Edited by Padmashree Pande; All photos credit score: Pravin)