PUNE: Kalias Autade’s story is one of survival despite the odds. Of striving, falling and standing up again.
Despite his life being thrown asunder by the pandemic in 2020, Autade, who once worked as a cab driver, has clutched on to every straw, moving from one profession to another, just to sustain himself and his family.
In the last nearly two years, the Sinhagad Road resident has donned multiple roles, metamorphosing from a cab driver to a vegetable seller to a mask seller to a garments’ manufacturer to moonlighting as a part-time autorickshaw driver.
“I am back to driving now, even if temporarily. While the business of cabbies and autorickshaw drivers is down at present, I take up the wheels whenever I get a chance and transport people. Some months back, I, with the help of a partner, I started the business of manufacturing ladies’ casual wear. Right before Diwali last year, I went to Rajasthan and coordinated with a wholesale cloth merchant and have started to buy the cloth for making the dresses, from him. There are some people, who make dresses from the cloth, and then I move from one retail shop to another, trying to sell them. Business has not been good, however, such ventures need time to find a market. Hence, in order to make some money, I have started driving an autorickshaw on rent,” Autade told said.
Before the pandemic broke out in 2020, Autade worked as a full-time cabbie. However, after the first lockdown, he had to change his profession time and again just to sustain himself and his family. “I don’t even remember how many professions I have changed since 2020. The sad part is that struggle for people like us is not over yet. The new wave poses many new challenges for me and I am trying to survive one day at a time,” he said.
Autade said that taking up the job of an autorickshaw driver was important for him. “I am looking for a loan from a bank so that I can buy an autorickshaw. This will allow me to transport the garments to shops. Presently, I drive an autorickshaw in the evening after completing business-related work during the day. On most days, I make a few trips and earn some money. Similarly, if a car owner contacts me for a trip to any city, I grasp the opportunity, too. It is about making some money at the end of the day so that I can provide for my family,” he said.
He said that the current wave had slowed his business down. “I am very worried as I have invested quite a sum, which I took as loan. I have walked a long way since 2020 and don’t want to land in the same position agasin. At present, I am bothered about the surge in cases,” said Autade. But he is not one to give up easily. He knows he has miles to walk before he can sleep.
