Fifteen years of marriage and six-year-old fraternal twins later, this restaurateur couple, Supra and Varun Agarwal, still exude the vibe of a newly engaged couple. “It was love at first sight,” Varun says. We are sitting at the balcony of their newly launched restaurant, Maachis, at Epicuria, Nehru Place. “We met through our parents. On our first date, I took her to my restaurant and sometime later, I got so engrossed in the work that I forgot she was with me. By the time I realised it, she was helping me out by handling the waiting. And I was like this is the perfect match,” adds Varun, 41.
When they first began dating, they kept it a secret, even from their parents. “Then in the middle of one night, we called our parents and told them we are getting married, and they were like ‘are you still meeting?’” chuckles Varun. “When I proposed her for the first time, she said if you propose to me every year after marriage, I will marry you.” And he does so without fail every anniversary. Varun studied hotel management in Switzerland, and worked at many national and international properties before starting his own restaurant, Not Just Paranthas.
When he met Supra, he was just running one outlet, but after she came into his life, they ended up opening seven more. And in 2019, they opened Maachis – a restaurant that pays obeisance to all things Indian. “India is full of different regions and kitchens, but all have one thing in common, the maachis [match stick] that lights the gas. We imagined India as a matchbox and the sticks as different cities. We are celebrating the country in all its glory,” says Varun. The couple starts their day with an aligned plan and have distributed responsibilities for better functioning. “While I start a little early because of the kids, he works till late but we have a mid-point where we meet.
I take care of the creative part, décor, and marketing, while he is the hardcore food and operations guy. Instead of stepping on each other’s toes, we support each other,” says Supra, 38. That doesn’t imply they work in silos because their assigned areas of work are still interconnected. “See, brainstorming will always lead to a better product. It can lead to an argument, but that’s a constructive argument. We don’t form opinions based on disagreements,” he adds. While one is more romantic, the other is good at giving surprises.
“When we have to make a decision, he shows me the practical side of something, and I show him the emotional side of it. But what’s common is our drive to keep creating,” says Supra. Apart from juggling work life together, the two love dancing together. In fact, Supra runs a dance school, and has been teaching him salsa these days. “We have understood that we will remain the primary partners for each other, no matter what. Work will go on, kids will go on, the family will go on, eventually, it’s him and I, who have to live together,” says Supra, who practices Nichiren Buddhism and always dreamt of owning a book shop. Varun is a shy personality and she is the social one.
“Our team has gelled with me well. Sometimes, it makes him jealous too. I am always with him but I don’t give him a chance to get bored. I am full-on entertainment. Even my kids think I am comical,” she laughs. The plans are to expand Maachis, and it’s not about money anymore, but making something we are proud of, they say. But the journey is not easy. “Problems come, but when the situation gets worse, I tell myself that it cannot get worse than this, and this will give you strength. Such things build our character,” concludes Supra.
HIS QUIRK
He is an egg freak, who can eat up to 20 eggs a day, and at any time of the day.
HER QUIRK
She says she washes her hands at least “100times a day”.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHILE BEING SELF QUARANTINED
They are trying their hand at making bread, and Mexican, Middle-Eastern and Coastal dishes, and also teaching the kids chores to do the dishes and clean stuff on their own.