Pushpa Sonthalia displays her homemade products in Ranchi. Picture by Hardeep Singh.

She is still known as Amberwali even though her garment shop on Kutchery Road closed down years ago. In 1964 her readymade garment shop, Amber, was located where the Raymonds showroom stands today on Kutchery Road. The success of Amber could be gauged from the fact that it had a daily turnover of Rs 10,000 and its proprietor Pushpa Sonthalia, was probably the first business woman in Ranchi who went to Bangkok and Hong Kong to explore business opportunities in ready-made garments.

Not surprising that Pushpa, who recently celebrated her 62nd birthday, is still known as Amberwali even though the ready-made garment-cum-tailoring-cum-dry cleaning shop, that gave employment to over two dozen people, closed down in 1992.

The shop had to be closed down as in 1990 her daughter, a special child, needed more attention. That year she also lost her husband, a business partner of the wholesale cloth merchant-cum-retail shop, Dwarkadhesh. He was robbed of Rs 40,000 and shot while returning from a bank in Harmu.

The incident shocked Pushpa, but her never-say-die attitude kept her going. In 1993, she established a milk booth. Gradually she started selling other products like bread, butter and tea. Soon she opened a phone booth. Not one to be satisfied, she decided to sell home-made products like papad.

As a child she remembered seeing how papad were made in unhygienic conditions in Calcutta. Pushpa was determined to make papad in hygienic condition and her idea became an instant hit.

Encouraged by the response, Pushpa started a women?s co-operative, New Amber, in 1994. Several needy women joined the co-operative that produced papad, chips and pickles. Two women from well-to-do families also joined the cooperative to earn some pocket money.

The orders started flowing in and Pushpa had to take the help of her sister-in-law, who had a spacious house in Morhabadi.

Now her co-operative produces 60 kg of papads every day from her house-cum-workshop. But when the demand increases the production shifts to Morhabadi.

Her clientele includes the Jhavars, Budhias and Harlalkas. Even moderate papad eaters have become hooked. They throng her shop during the winters to buy masala papad made of onions, garlic, ginger and chilly. The other item that sells like hot cakes in winters is her pea papad.

For Pushpa the turnover is important, not the profit percentage. ?If the price is reasonable more customers will come. People always look for shops that sell papad at a reasonable price. Therefore, the ones that charge exorbitantly suffer,? she says.

Pushpa feels one should ensure that the price is reasonable to succeed in a competitive market.

While explaining the difference between papad and lapad, which is made of grams, Pushpa takes frequent breaks to attend to customers. She is respected by her customers who touch her feet and calls her buaji.

Born in Sardarshahar in Rajasthan, Pushpa?s iron merchant father shifted base to Calcutta when she was an infant.

She got married in 1962 and came to Ranchi with her husband. It was her husband who encouraged her to start a business of her own. Though her friends and relatives wondered how she would carve a niche in a male domain, she proved them wrong.

Pushpa purchased ready-made garments from Calcutta. Sometimes she even got then stitched. Then she sold them in Ranchi. ?My clothes were so durable that three generations could wear them,? says Pushpa proudly.

?I earned a lot and spent a lot on family and friends. We have never been materialistic. But now I think it would have been better if I had saved a little. Then I would not have been forced to toil so hard now. I could have spent my old days in peace,? Pushpa says.

But, Pushpa is too courageous to spend her time repenting. A woman of noble thoughts, she believes in earning respect. ?I am content as I am respected by one and all,? she says.

Even at 62, she does not take life easy. She wakes up at 3.30 am so that she can open her shop at 5 am. She stays at the shop till 8 pm and in between supervises the girls at the workshop.

Pushpa is thankful that she does not have to oversee household matters. ?Cooking is done by a girl who lost her parents long back. She has been with me since the age of five,? she says.

Pushpa watches religion channels early in the morning and tries not to miss the serial, Kkusum, in the evening.

Every day brings new challenges and Pushpa has met all of them with dignity. Her only worry is her 32-year-old daughter. Even Pushpa wishes that God takes her daughter back. Her days are spent worrying as to who will take care of her daughter after she dies. Her only comforting thought is that her elder daughter is happily married in a business family in Calcutta.

But knowing Pushpa she will find a solution to even this problem. And even if she cannot, her guardian angel will.

Anupam Sheshank