Harish Yadav fought against all odds and today works as a Chef De Rang (head waiter) in a Paris hotel
MARIA FERNANDES | NT
Born and brought up in a chawl in Mumbai, Harish Yadav’s journey to the City of Love has been a long tedious one.
The chawls in Mumbai are a quintessential part of the city’s fabric and emerged during Mumbai’s industrial boom. They are a unique form of affordable housing and represent the city’s history, culture and community spirit. In a chawl, a floor comprises rooms in a single row with a common verandah and toilets.
“My father and grandfather were both taxi drivers. We all lived in a single 120 square feet room as a joint family which included my grandparents, my parents, my uncle and aunt and my brother and I,” he shares.
Besides space confines, Harish also faced other challenges. His father, Rakesh was a forward-thinking individual and had big dreams for his sons. However, living in a joint family meant decisions were taken after consulting everyone. “My father understood the importance of education, especially how studying in an English-medium school would benefit us, but my grandfather was against the idea. He was of the opinion that if his sons who had studied in a Hindi-medium school were doing fine, then the same would work for us as well,” he recollects.
Luckily, his father stood his ground and Yadav and his brother were educated in an English-medium school. But given his limited English language skills, Yadav had to take private tuitions. “This too was an added expense but my father was adamant and got us a tutor and we completed our Class 10,” he says.
While Yadav initially aspired to become a doctor, unfortunately he did not score the required percentage and thus had to opt for commerce stream. After a great deal of research and speaking with people, he then decided to go in for a bachelor’s degree in management studies but again, a low percentage prevented him from going further. “It was extremely frustrating. I then looked at options in the field of hospitality but there the fees were high and due to financial constraints my father could not help me out,” he recalls. “For me, this was a turning point as I realised that I would have to become more focused and think of alternatives.”
Yadav decided he would do whatever it takes to achieve his dream. Working in business process outsourcing at night, while attending college by day, he saved a small amount, completed his graduation and then took up a degree in hospitality for which his father had to take a loan. “My father was convinced of my interest and yearning to pursue a career in this field and helped me out. Without his support, I would not have come so far,” he says.
In his final year in hospitality, Yadav’s life took another turn when at a seminar he was introduced to the idea of completing his masters abroad. “It really was a wow moment and I realised the opportunities I would be presented with, if I studied abroad,” he says.
With a burning desire to study in New Zealand, he approached several banks but his father’s two taxis were not adequate as collateral.
Not one to give up, he once again decided to work for a few years and save to fund his future plans. Thus, he moved to Saudi Arabia and worked at the Hilton for close to two years. And then the pandemic hit the world.
“For me, it was one road block after another and at times I really lost hope. But then I would motivate myself and it kept me going. My family too was always there for me,” he says. Courage, patience and encouragement from the right quarters, he believes are crucial to move ahead or it can get overwhelming and difficult.
With New Zealand shutting its borders, Yadav opted for France as it was the first country to open its doors to international students. “It definitely was a change of plans but then life is like that,” he says. With loans taken from his father’s friends, Yadav moved to France in 2021. “It was a giant leap for me and I was extremely excited and apprehensive at the same time,” he shares.
But with no knowledge of French and very limited money to spare, getting a job was not easy. He finally got a part-time job in an Indian restaurant. With barely five hours sleep every night, it was extremely tough but what kept him going were his vision and the determination to succeed. And it paid off. On completion of his course, he landed himself a position in a renowned Relais & Chateaux 1 Michelin star hotel and restaurant and today speaks French comfortably.
Perseverance and dedication he says have helped him to get where he is today. “It has been an amazing journey and I have learned some extremely important lifelessons. Resilience and the ability to adapt are crucial as challenges are a part of life,” he says.
Today, Harish has moved to Paris and works at the Sofitel Hotel. “I have a long way to go but my immediate goal is to get my parents to visit Paris, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. They have never been in an airplane and this would really be something for them,” he says.
