Imagine a scenario where you are awaiting a gift from your partner. He comes to you and hands over a decent looking bouquet. You force a grin as you believe his gift is something that will probably not last even a day. But this bouquet is special, and you realise it only when you take a closer lok. Instead of the usual bright-coloured flowers, you find small curved or heart-shaped chocolates, presented in shiny wrappers. You pluck one chocolate from the bouquet and put it into your mouth. As the chocolate melts in your mouth, your anger turns into joy and you gleefully hug your partner.Thanks to these chocolate bouquets, many Chennaiites are bidding farewell to the specially decked-up flower bouquets, whose longevity lasts as long as the flowers are fresh. These kind of bouquets are made by quite a few Chennaiites, and among them is Sowcarpet-resident Anita Kataria. What started out as a friendly gesture from Anita has now turned into a full-time business, which she has been pursuing for the last two years. Given the green signal from her fiance and his family, Anita now shows a renewed interest in following her passion. “I was always interested in chocolate and also did a professional course on it,” says Anita. “Two years ago, I had put together chocolates in the form of a bouquet and given it to my friends. After receiving good feedback from them, I started developing the concept. Now, I find it difficult to manage the number of orders I receive.”Anita can make 85 varieties of chocolates, which can cost anywhere between `500 and `2,000 per kg. She can also make 150 varieties of chocolate bouquets, the prices of which range from `100 to `7,000, depending on the customer’s specification.Being the first female in the family to complete higher studies and venture into self-employment, Anita had to overcome many challenges to pursue her passion. “People used to question as as to what I’m up to. But I knew I wanted to run a business. My family was always supportive. And now, my would-be in-laws have given me the go-ahead to pursue the business after marriage,” says Anita. “In fact, a chocolate bouquet made by me and sent to my fiance’s house four months ago as part of the engagement rituals, has not yet been opened and has been kept as a showpiece,” she smiles. In an effort to make her bouquets showcase real flowers, Anita adds artificial blossoms for a more authentic touch. “Using real flowers in this chocolate bouquet has its share of problems. The chocolates’ taste and appearance may get affected due to the presence of the flowers in the bouquet. Besides, a drop of water in the bouquet can ruin the chocolates,” she says. Easily handling 50-60 orders a month and ideal for all occasions, Anita says she gets most of her customers through word-of-mouth publicity. “Recently, during Deepavali, I got an order to make 65 chocolate bouquets, and I had to work day and night to prepare it,” she adds.
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