At 12 noon in Uttam Nagar, Abhishek logs into his delivery app. His earnings show zero. His trips show zero. Within seconds, his phone vibrates. The first order of the day is in.
This is how almost every day begins for Abhishek, a food delivery partner in Delhi. No fixed salary. No fixed hours. Only incentives, targets and time ticking on a screen.
We decided to spend an entire winter day with him, following every order, every wait, every kilometre and every decision that shapes his workday.
Chasing the Clock From the First Order
Abhishek logs in late today. He misses the noon incentive window by half an hour. That means whatever he earns today will come only from completed deliveries.
The rules are simple and unforgiving. Log in between 12 and 4 pm and complete enough orders to unlock incentives. Miss the window and there is no second chance.
His first order takes him six kilometres away. The payout is ₹50. It takes over 20 minutes. Traffic is heavy and the restaurant is running late. The delay reflects on his performance, not the restaurant’s.
Every minute matters. A delayed order can mean a penalty. A customer complaint can wipe out the entire earning from that trip.
Cold, Traffic and Constant Pressure
Delhi’s winter cuts through layers of clothing. Abhishek rides for hours, hands slowly going numb. Gloves help but only a little.
Customers call repeatedly asking why the food is late. If mobile data slows down or GPS lags, complaints follow. Each complaint costs him money.
To save time, riders often take risks. Wrong-side driving. Jumping signals. Cutting through narrow lanes. Abhishek admits it is dangerous, but incentives reward speed, not safety.
“If we don’t hurry, we lose money,” he says. “If we hurry, we risk accidents.”
Penalties, Rejections and No Real Choice
Every order must be accepted. Rejecting more than one can cancel incentives or invite penalties. Distance, traffic or unsafe areas are rarely considered valid reasons.
If a restaurant packs the wrong item, the rider still faces the complaint. He is not allowed to open sealed packages, yet he is held responsible for what is inside.
For delays, penalties range from ₹20 to the full value of the order. On a ₹30 delivery, that means earning nothing.
Lunch When Orders Allow
There is no lunch break. Abhishek eats when orders slow down, which is rare. Today, he eats after 4 pm at a small dhaba near his house.
This is his first meal of the day.
He logs out briefly, knowing that every minute offline reduces his chance of hitting incentive targets later in the evening.
Family Responsibilities Drive the Risk
Abhishek started working at 15. He studied till Class 12 before family responsibilities took over.
His parents and grandmother live in the village. His father drives an auto. Abhishek sends money home every month. Next month, his sister is getting married.
That is why he rides longer hours. That is why he takes risks. That is why quitting is not an option right now.
Rent in Delhi is ₹4,000. Fuel costs at least ₹300 a day. Maintenance, phone recharges and food come extra.
Some days, after all expenses, there is very little left.
Evenings Are Faster and Colder
By evening, orders come back-to-back. There is no pause between one delivery and the next.
At night, visibility drops and traffic patterns change. Riders wait on dark roads with no shelter, hoping for the next order ping.
There are no resting facilities, no heated waiting areas and no guaranteed insurance coverage. If an accident happens, most riders handle medical costs themselves.
Abhishek knows someone who was injured and spent months recovering without compensation.
The Last Order and the Final Count
At 10 pm, Abhishek takes his last order. It is long distance but closer to home.
By the end of the day, he has completed 14 trips. His total earnings are just over ₹400, with incentives still locked and pending verification.
He has been logged in for nearly seven hours, excluding breaks.
Tomorrow, he will start again.
What We Often Do Not See
Food delivery has become invisible labour. We track orders, not effort. We notice delays, not conditions.
Spending a full day with Abhishek reveals how tightly time, money and risk are stitched together in this job.
The app demands speed. The road demands caution. Riders stand in between.
The next time an order arrives late, Abhishek hopes customers remember that there is a human riding through traffic, cold and pressure to deliver it.
