Delhi: Dreams die hard for cook’s kin as they lose breadwinner

NEW DELHI: At the tender age of 16, Shyam Bodh Sah decided to drop out of school and lend support to his family’s fragile financial condition. He came to Delhi six years ago and started working at a juice corner. He soon learnt to cook and three years ago got the job as a chef at Swagath Restaurant in Defence Colony.
Things started to improve and Shyam not only helped in the treatment of his mentally-ill elder brother, but also got their house constructed in the village.The family’s dreams came crashing down on Sunday when the news of his murder reached his aging parents and siblings.

Packing Shyam’s belongings into a bag, his cousin, Binod Sah, said that his mother suffered a shock after hearing the news of his death and had to be hospitalised. They are waiting for family members to arrive from the village to take back the body. “We are scared she might also pass away from the shock. He was the sole breadwinner of the family and nobody can believe that he is no more,” Binod said.
The victim is survived by his parents, grandfather, an elder brother and an 18-year-old sister. All of them live in the village. His father’s meagre income from their small farmland is not enough to support the large family of eight members.
“His elder brother is married and has children. However, he cannot work due to his mental illness. Shyam was earning about Rs 16,000. He would only keep Rs 2,000-3,000 for himself and send the rest to his family,” Binod said.
After getting the house constructed, the 22-year-old had started saving money to get his sister married. The family was looking for a suitable match for her. His colleagues at the restaurant shared that Shyam was planning to go and meet his family at the end of the year.
Shyam had studied till Class VIII in a government school in his village. He was staying with three other men in a rented room in Zamrudpur village and worked at the restaurant three kilometres away. His roommates said that Shyam worked the evening shift wherein he would leave at 3pm and return after midnight. He would carry two big cans of drinking water daily from the restaurant for his roommates.