"True love stories never have endings." "Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." "The best thing to hold onto in life is each other." "You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."
This is the story of Bhairappa and Roopa, two unique individuals who have dwarfism and fell in love at MITTI Cafe. Bhairappa has been working with MITTI for many years now. He was, in fact, one of our earliest recruits. His roots are from a small village called N Jarakunti near Hubli, district Gulbarga. Even after multiple attempts to find a job, Bhairappa could never find one and one day landed barefoot for an interview at our first outlet in Hubli. He did not even know how to brush his teeth, let alone the importance of the same. He was hired and started learning the work at the cafe. He also trained efficiently on his soft skills and learned many life lessons.
Bhairappa later shifted to Bangalore to our ANZ Cafe. After a year, he got promoted as the customer service executive at our INFOSYS Cafe. At a catering event, he met Roopa, who had come along with another team from the WIPRO Cafe where she used to work. It was love at first sight for Bhairappa. He could not keep his eyes off her. With the help of his friends at MITTI, he met Roopa a few times after the event and immediately proposed to her. He always dreamt of getting married but was often ridiculed in his village.
Roopa did not accept his proposal then. She was an orphan and was wary of committing to someone she had just met and did not know very well. Our man, Bhairappa, however, did not give up and continued to chase her! Covid-19 struck, and we had to close operations at all our corporate cafes.
During this pandemic, Bhairappa and a few others got busy making and distributing Karuna meals for front-line healthcare workers, immigrants, the homeless, and covid 19 patients.
He missed Roopa very much. They met again after a few months at our very first dine-in cafe at Koramangala. Both Bhairappa and Roopa were recruited in the service team there. Here, Roopa spent time closely with Bhairappa, and love blossomed between the two. They both learned and helped each other in work. Bhairappa made sure Roopa would not get tired of running up and down the cafe, and she took care of him, making sure he ate on time and kept smiling.
Bhairappa loves the Pav bhaji at the cafe, and the sabudaana khichdi is Roopa's favorite. While Bhairappa is the quieter of the two, he is very expressive, and Roopa is our chirpy girl. They both are loved and appreciated by all guests.
He proposed once again, and this time our dear Roopa could not refuse.
Finally, one day she said the three magical words to Bhairappa, and he couldn't have been happier. They requested to get married immediately.
The entire team at MITTI cafe planned the ceremonies and got these two married in a temple. The events kicked off with the Mehendi ceremony at the cafe, followed by lots of dancing. It was a joyous celebration for team MITTI.
Roopa looked like a glorious doll bride; her excitement knew no bounds as I was dressing her up. Bhairappa was the happiest groom I have ever seen. Everyone from our mentors, donors, friends, and family joined the celebrations as they took the sacred vows of matrimony at the temple. It was a surreal experience for all of us to witness this wedding. Our MITTI family blessed the newlywed couple and then relished a traditional South Indian Sadhya lunch.
Bhairappa and Roopa moved to their house very close to the cafe and live there happily now. Friends and family from the village visit them often and are proud of them for having found true love and light in their lives. They have come a long way in their lives and are now capable earning members even with their disabilities. "They have chosen to rise high, holding each other's hand. "
Its a real clolour of Mitti of life which can bring so much love in someones life ...wishing a happy married like for this Mitti made couple and hatts off to the Mitti community to create such inspirational story for them those who are on the same boat and dreaming a better futire of their special kids .......