For all our existence, food has been our top-most necessity. Through thick and thin, through rain storms or sandstorms, our species has had the will to go in search of food even in the face of adversity. Thus, when the coronavirus struck our lives, this wasn’t going to be very different. 

Waiters, chefs and food delivery executives were branded as the unlikely heroes of the pandemic. Being a medical and somewhat political catastrophe, one wouldn’t think the food industry would come to the rescue. But they did. Risking their lives on - what one could say - the frontline of the pandemic, all of them did their part in serving, delivering, and making fresh and warm food for our society.

B. Prabhuraj, a delivery executive living in Mogappair West, Chennai, had his life turned upside down. In his two years working for Swiggy, and maybe the twenty-five years of his life, he had never felt so threatened with potential death. He faced this challenge head on, and said “Everyone remained indoors fearing the virus and I realised how I could help people by taking hot food to their doorsteps as fast as I could.” Understandably, his father grew highly anxious about his safety on the job, but Prabhuraj was very strict about his hygiene too - He took a bath right after coming home from work, and then only did he step into his house. “In the past, we delivery boys have faced several disrespectful customers, but these days, most of them treat us well; they understand how difficult our jobs can be,” he said in his testimony. And I am glad that it happened that way.

As a steward, his job description only included seating guests, taking orders, and the occasional top-off of the wine glasses. Prabhakar Pawar never felt that his job could turn into an occupational hazard each and every day of his life. But post the pandemic in March, menus turned into QR codes, and friendly, chit-chat conversations with customers became distant, just-taking-your-order conversations with clients for stewards around the world. Sanitising was kept as the utmost priority at the job, and there was a limit for the number of people on a floor at a particular time. “Most of those who came in were regulars. They, too, were scared at first, but they kept returning after seeing how well we take care of them,” he said. Masks and gloves became mandatory on the job, and they kept the virus well at bay. 

“Har kisi ko apni jan pyaari hoti hai (Everyone considers their own life precious),” says Prabhakar, and he is absolutely correct. And despite that, they risk their lives on a daily basis just so that you can ‘eat out’. The least we can do is be thankful.