Bhimsen and Soobhowtee: "Eating octopus has become almost a dream..."

In New-Grove, the daily life of Bhimsen Soneea, 63, and his wife Soobhowtee, 60, has taken on a hue of forced sobriety. Behind the doors of their home, the inflation caused by international shocks has reshaped their meals. In the evening, dinner consists of a bowl of rice, some lentils, and a salted fish rougail.

What was once an ordinary gesture has become a painful exception: the purchase of fresh fish. "Before, it was affordable, a staple on our table. Today, it’s an insurmountable barrier," the couple confides. The "pleasures" of yesteryears, those festive moments when shrimp and octopus graced their table, now belong to the past. Today, they don’t even allow themselves to look at them. "Shrimp are a memory, and octopus... has almost become a dream," Soobhowtee sighs.

To compensate, they have had to replace fresh fish with salted fish or cheaper alternatives, substitutes that satisfy hunger but do not replace the joy of taste. At the supermarket checkout, the moment of truth can be cruel. They sometimes have to put an item back because the total exceeds the limits of a budget that no longer stretches.

"We eat the bare minimum so that everyone can have something on their plate,” they say.

For Bhimsen and Soobhowtee, family solidarity comes before their own nutrition. They never hesitate to reduce their portions of protein, such as meat or chicken, to ensure their children can have cereals or dairy products essential for their growth. "We eat the bare minimum so that everyone can have something on their plate," they explain.

This constant deprivation is not without consequences. The couple admits to feeling a deep fatigue, the strain of living on the bare essentials, never being able to let their guard down. If the children do not complain, the observant parents sometimes notice a lack of energy, a slight sparkle missing from their eyes. For them, there is no more Sunday truce. Weekend meals are no longer a delightful break but an extension of the same daily struggle.

Faced with this deadlock, the Soneea couple refuses to give up. Their trick? Hard work and a fierce fight against waste. Every rupee is counted, every leftover food is valued. Most importantly, they have turned to the land. By planting their own vegetables for personal consumption, they attempt to regain a bit of control over their lives and reduce their expenses.