“Please wait outside, we will get the bag once it’s ready,” said the hotel manager. I work as a delivery boy for different platforms and even when I am being the messenger for so many people and delivering them their ‘Happiness’, no one even asks me if I am okay. I know everyone is scared but why do people have to be so hostile? I am scared too, why don’t they understand this?" 

Brijesh, a delivery boy based in Surat talked about the mental stress he was experiencing recently because of his job. He worked as a delivery boy through an agency and hence would deliver for many online platforms including food delivery services.

He said, “This virus has made my job completely confusing..when the lockdown was announced, I feared losing my job. It was too much of tension. Now that unlock has happened, I fear my job be cause delivery does expose me to the stress of virus. 

Knowing that the enviroment is still risky, travelling all over the city seemed like a huge physical as well as mental task for me. 

I hate it when I get delivery for the food joints. I am so cautious, and follow all protcols of sanitizing whenever I am doing the food deliveries and yet the restaurant, as well as the receivers, treat me like a bundle of virus. They never take into consideration the amount of stress I take as a delivery boy to keep their parcels safe. They always look at me with this doubtful gaze, judging my hygiene and safety based on my appearance and approach.” 

In one session he expressed how the demeaning looks from people makes him want to give it all up. “It is all in the eyes and the tone of the people. Sometimes when the parcel owners come to pick up the bags, they behave as if I have contaminated their food. 

At such times I feel like why should I bother about cleanliness and hygiene..let their food get contaminated; let them get the disease...why should I care. It gets really difficult for me to calm myself down in such situations. ‘Tumhe COVID toh nahi hai na? And they will start sanitizing everything right there and then..go, fetch your own food if you are that scared, I feel like saying to these people. 

And what if the customer is a COVID patient? Will I not get the infection from him? Has anyone thought of that?

All I want is a genuine ‘Thank you’ from the people. I am too, risking my life just like the other frontline workers. The difference is just that most of the frontline people know that they are dealing with a COVID patient. Whereas I meet and pick up parcels that have been passed on through so many different hands, I don’t even know that the packet I am holding, is it even safe to be holding with my hands. If I get infected, not a single person will even ask me if I am okay, but if I infect someone, that will be the end of my work life as a delivery boy and my family will end up starving themselves. So much for risking my life!!”