A colder time of year custom for some, Delhiites has been to make a beeline for India Gate for a frozen yogurt in the nippy climate, however merchants state that is not the situation in the midst of the pandemic this time around.
One would envision frozen yogurt to be the exact opposite thing individuals would wander out for when winter is at its pinnacle. Be that as it may, with regards to Delhiites, they feel weak at the knees over virus treats, particularly when appreciated with the lovely perspective on India Gate in the setting! This year, as mercury dives to record lows, frozen yogurt merchants around India Gate say they are discouraged at the appallingly low deals not at all like earlier years, and fault Covid for their misfortunes.
“There is a cold wave in northern India, and rain too showed it’s magic recently. Itne degree me to gadiyon ki line lag jati abhi tak. Pichle saal isi time pe yahan khoob bheed thi kyunki sardi me ice cream khane ka alag hi maza hai… But this year, the crowds are absent. Many people who used to come regularly to buy ice cream from us are not venturing out due to the fear of coronavirus,” says Rohit Gupta, a frozen yogurt seller at India Gate, where just about twelve merchants set up for business consistently, and wait for the whole year.
The ordinary merchants at India Gate say their frozen yogurt stands bear a melancholic, forsaken look, much like the paths that lead to the C-Hexagon. “Murmur ne milk wali frozen yogurt stock karke rakhi thi since individuals incline toward those in winter over ice lollies. Standard uske liye bhi bahut hey kam log aa rahe hain. Aur baraf ka kharcha kaafi mehenga cushion jata hai frozen yogurt ko sahi taapman standard rakhne ke liye,” says Anuj Kumar, another seller whose slow down is positioned in a similar region. He illuminates that sellers here work on a 15% commission premise, and subsequently the frustrating deals are a wellspring of significant concern.
“Ye maan lijiye ki ₹500 ki deal pe ₹100 milte hain. Standard itne kam mein hota hello there kya hai aajkal! The greater part of us have depleted our reserve funds as of now,” adds Kumar.
The continuous Republic Day march practices has likewise made the merchants leave their selling stalls somewhat a long way from the standard spots, which doesn’t permit the vehicles to end. “Security to zaruri hai. Standard isse hume dikkat hoti hai; gaadiyan ruk nahi paati to bikri aur kum hoti hai. Is baar toh New Year pe bhi bahut kum log aaye; jitni umeed thi, uski 10% deal bhi nahi hui,” says Devinder Singh, another frozen yogurt dealer at India Gate, adding, “Kuchh school ke bachche pehle ordinary aate the humare paas frozen yogurt khareedne. Standard abdominal muscle unko dekhe huye bhi mahine beet gaye.”
The individuals who savored the colder time of year treats at this famous spot share that Covid-19 is absolutely raising concerns, however they do make an excursion to India Gate planning to evaluate cups and cones. Mahima Bharadwaj, an IAS competitor, who as of late visited India Gate just to have a frozen yogurt with her companions on New Year’s Eve, says, “Having a frozen yogurt in winter is a mysterious delight! I love having frozen yogurts here. Truth be told before my companions and I would ride our bicycles to come here consistently. However, presently, due to Covid-19, we don’t venture out that regularly. It feels tragic to see not many sellers around here. Also, we needed to stop far away and stroll down searching for the merchants from whom we normally purchase. This is bit awkward.”
One more ordinary at India Gate, Delhi-based financial specialist Atul Bhatnagar, says his family had confined their week by week visits to the frozen yogurt slows down here, however have intended to continue them in 2021.
He muses, “It’s such a nostalgic feeling! We have been coming here since our childhood, and can’t stop ourselves from visiting for the pure joy of having an ice cream here. I personally like to have tea whereas my family enjoys ice creams. Before the pandemic hit, we would often spend our evenings on weekends taking a stroll at India Gate, and indulging in our favourite delights. Now, we are careful to come only when there’s absolutely no possibility of bumping into a swarm of people, and we can maintain social distancing. We are going to resume our weekend trips after a long hiatus, and are excited about it!”
