The Inspiring Journey of Vijay Choudhary: From Struggles to My Business Travel And Success

Vijay Choudhary, extend a heartfelt welcome to all of you. I hail from Kurduwadi, a small village near Solapur, but for the past 25 years, I have been living in Pune. My journey has been one of immense hardships, resilience, and ultimately, triumph.

A Childhood Marked by Loss and Struggles

I lost both my parents at a very young age. With no relatives willing to take responsibility for me and my two younger brothers, we were admitted to an orphanage called DMC Home, run by some kind-hearted people in our village. This orphanage provided education only up to the 9th standard, after which children were sent back to their homes. As per the rules, I had to leave the orphanage after completing my 9th grade, but my brothers, who were still studying, refused to stay without me. Left with no other option, I took them with me.

With nowhere to go, we began living at Kurduwadi Railway Station. We did whatever odd jobs we could find to earn our meals. On days when we couldn't find work, we survived by begging for leftover food from train passengers. This phase of our lives continued for nearly eight years.

An Unexpected Marriage Proposal

One day, a woman approached me at the station and asked, Are you the son of Saraswati? When I confirmed, she sat beside me and shared stories about my mother. Then, she made a surprising proposal—she wanted me to marry her daughter. I was taken aback. She explained that my mother had once asked her to marry her daughter to me, and she had given her word to fulfill that promise.

With no expectations and nowhere to turn, I agreed. We were married at a small temple near my village. My wedding was attended only by a few fellow workers from the station. My wife's family, except for her sister and brother, refused to attend, believing that marrying a beggar would bring disgrace to them.

For the wedding, I bought my wife a mangalsutra for ₹10 and a saree for ₹85 from a roadside market. After our marriage, my mother-in-law provided us with a small rented room to live in, marking the beginning of my true journey.

Moving to Pune: A City of Hopes and Hardships

In the following years, we had three children, but our financial situation remained dire. Realizing that survival was becoming increasingly difficult, we decided to move to Pune in 2000, hoping for better job opportunities.

Upon arriving in Pune, we faced another harsh reality—we knew no one. I took up whatever work I could find, from being a watchman to garbage collection and daily wage labor. However, many jobs did not pay on time, and shopkeepers refused to give us groceries on credit. Even after working hard, we often went hungry.

Someone told me that Sassoon Hospital provided free meals to the poor. Every day, after work, I would walk 12 km from Dange Chowk to Sassoon Hospital, wait for food, and return home around midnight. My wife and children wouldn’t eat until I brought food. I did this for a month, enduring even beatings from other beggars. One kind-hearted beggar, Abbu, started saving food for me, helping me avoid long waits.

Struggles During the Lockdown and a New Beginning

Eventually, I started driving a rickshaw, while my wife began working as a domestic help. But when the COVID-19 lockdown hit, everything came to a standstill. We went without food for days, and our health deteriorated. With no income, we had no option but to endure the worst.

Determined to take control of my destiny, I decided to start my own business. I turned to YouTube, watching countless videos about food recipes and hotel management. Over six months, I perfected my Biryani and Dalcha Rice recipes at home. Once the lockdown ended, I spent another six months tasting biryanis from 284 different restaurants within a 10 km radius to study their flavors and see how I could make mine better.

I finally opened my first Choudhary Biryani House in Mundhwa, Pune. My biryani quickly became popular, attracting large crowds. However, jealousy led to my shop being shut down within three months. My equipment was confiscated, and I was left with nothing.

Undeterred, I restarted my business, only for my entire setup to be destroyed overnight. To make matters worse, creditors started harassing me, barging into my home, hurling abuses, and even taking away household items. One day, my wife had to hand over her mangalsutra to a moneylender just to stop the harassment.

Rising Against All Odds

Despite everything, I refused to give up. In my dictionary, surrender and failure do not exist. After eight months, I started again—this time with a small food cart under the same name, Choudhary Biryani House.

Today, my biryani and dalcha rice are ranked number one in Pune. But this is just the beginning. I promise you that in the coming years, Choudhary Biryani House will have branches across Maharashtra.

This is not a fictional story—it is my real-life journey. A journey filled with pain, perseverance, and success, proving that no matter how dark the night, the sun always rises again.