Portrait of a citizen.

[Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi]

The first thing you notice about him is… well, let’s state it boldly! This neighbourhood grocery-store man must be possessing one of the most winsome smiles among all of us Delhiwale—see photo. This evening, while busy handling the customers, the extremely polite Khushal Sachdeva agrees to become a part of our Proust Questionnaire series, in which citizens are nudged to make “Parisian parlour confessions”, all to explore our distinct experiences.

The principal aspect of your personality.
My smile.

Your main fault.
I get a bit irritated at times.

Your favourite occupation.
Managing our shop. It was founded by my dadaji, the late Shri Vasudev ji. He had come to Delhi during the partition as a refugee, and had set up a sweet shop on this exact site. It was called Sachdeva Sweets, which would make snacks like samosa and laddu. My father, Shri Laxman Sachdeva ji, turned it into the present shop some 25 years ago, and named it after me. I was then very small. See this metal tijori, it is from the time of the sweet shop.

Your idea of happiness.
Going to hills with friends. I’ve been to Mussoorie ten times.

Your favourite character in movies.
Ranbir Kapoor as Bunny in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.

Your hero in real life.
Papa taught me to be humble with everyone. I also learned everything about running a shop from him. He is my guru.

Your favourite food and drink.
Butter chicken and beer. It is my fate to have chicken always outside the home… everyone in the family is a vegetarian.

Your favourite names.
Pragya, the name of my wife.

The military event you admire the most.
The beating retreat ceremony at the India-Pakistan border in Wagah. I saw it in real life just once. It had filled me with josh.

Your motto in life
My name is khushal, which means a state of happiness. So I strive to make my presence felt in such a way that it gives happiness to everyone around me, including my colleagues and customers.

What is your present state of mind?
I’m thinking what will be your next question.