Consciously Co-working: Mallika Tandon and Nishant Mittal

On Their Creative Practice
Nishant Mittal (NM): I am a vinyl collector and run a record store called Digging, based in Delhi. Digging started as a personal project 10 years ago when I became fascinated with collecting my favourite albums in the physical format of vinyl. Having built up a substantial collection, I started selling records as a side hustle in law school, only to realise that I can do this full time, which incidentally led me to drop out of college. I started selling online through my venture Vinylwaala. Around 19 months ago, I opened Digging in the space that I share with my partner Mallika.

Mallika Tandon (MT): I’m a communications designer turned pastry chef. I run a cake business, Bobo Cakery, that specialises in celebration cakes, wedding cakes, catering services and gifting. I started Bobo alone in 2020. Over the last one-and-a-half years, the team has been growing.

On Finding Each Other
NM: We first met on the internet and over almost two years we developed a very strong friendship. We are both interested in the same genre of movies and music, and our approach to life was also quite aligned. Our friendship graduated very naturally into a relationship. We’ve been together eight years now, but we had been friends for the longest time before that.

On Being In A Relationship With A Creative Person
NM: I appreciate being with someone who is also an entrepreneur running their own bootstrapped business because we understand each other’s struggles. It allows us to support each other in ways that our friends, or even our parents, may not be able to. It’s comforting to share a studio space because when you need help your partner is right next to you.

When Mallika is testing a new product or recipe she brings it to me to taste for my feedback. When I am in a fix, I always go to her for advice. And the fact that she has a design background has also helped me a lot. From the branding to the interiors, my store wouldn’t have existed in its current form without her inputs.

MT: I can’t imagine being with a partner who doesn’t listen to good music or who’s not from the creative field because I find it quite challenging to open up to people from other walks of life. So for me, having a similar thought process and creative inclinations matters a lot.

Our way of living is also very similar, and I don’t think I’m as comfortable with anyone else in my life as I am with Nishant. He has helped me get through some really bad days. When you’re sharing a space and running businesses, there are a lot of low points professionally, and there are a lot of high points as well. It just allows us to celebrate or tide over tough times together.

On Their Decision To Share A Studio Space Together
NM: Actually, it happened purely by accident. Mallika already had a different space in Shahpur Jat, and she was looking to upgrade. At that time, I was only toying with the idea of opening a physical record store. When Mallika and her mother found this space, they were initially considering it just for Bobo Cakery. However — and those who have been to the space know this — it is laid out such that you get to her larger room through the smaller one that I now use. So, since she had this empty room, I put my apprehensions aside — “What if it doesn’t work? What if I end up wasting my money?” — and took the plunge to rent it with her. It was never our plan to share studio space but I’m glad it happened, because it’s one of the best decisions I’ve taken in my life.

On Finding And Setting Up The Space
MT: I wanted a lot of sunlight. I needed a place on the ground or first floor because I have large and heavy equipment. Sometimes, you can’t carry it up staircases and it has to be manually lifted onto the floor from the outside of the building through a window or balcony. I also needed a functioning exhaust system and a commercial meter to take the load of the heavier machines.

NM: I think we got lucky. We didn’t have to spend on any major structural work like changing doors or breaking walls. Mallika had to tile her kitchen. The only change we made was in the main door. It was originally a solid wooden door, but we cut out two panels and replaced it with glass to make it see-through so it feels like you’re entering a shop or studio.

On The Decor
NM: I wanted my store to be inspired by the street art of India and take a maximalist approach to colour and merchandising. I always envisioned a small room full of interesting things to look at in every corner. If you stand in the middle of the store, you’re surrounded by objects. I have been collecting so much stuff over the years that the store has become a showcase for that. A lot of the framed posters are from my personal collection. I have also dedicated a section for my matchbox collection. But now I’ve stopped bringing personal items because people assume they’re for sale, given that it’s a store. And they feel disappointed when I tell them they can’t purchase those things.

MT: I wanted to use a lot of yellow everywhere because that’s my favourite colour, and also the colour of my brand. So both of our ceilings, Nishant’s vinyl racks, and most of the accents in the rooms are yellow. When it came to the decor, we decided on a laid-back antique look. So we commissioned a truck and sign artist to paint the logo by hand. We got the carpentry done ourselves to ensure that the wood was of high quality and would be long-lasting.

I haven’t brought much of my personality into the kitchen apart from the yellow walls and a picture of my dog Bobo, whom my bakery is named after. She’s our lucky mascot. People worship goddesses, but we worship Bobo in my family. My sister, who runs a bakery for dogs, also considers Bobo her good luck charm.

On Financials
NM: Even though Mallika’s space is much bigger than mine, we agreed to split the rent 50-50 because we also live together, and we didn’t want small amounts of money to come between us in a very beautiful relationship. But we each pay for the electricity according to our consumption, because each room has a different meter. This felt fair to both of us and we see it as a mutual investment.

On Boundaries
MT: We managed to set our boundaries quite naturally. Nishant doesn’t need to come into my space and vice versa. We do have a clear divide  and we don’t mix our professional and personal lives during work hours. On most days, we meet in the evening after we finish work.

NM: We never had to establish any boundaries. They just fell into place. Mallika’s work is a lot busier than mine. She has a team of four people that she manages whereas I’m usually by myself in the store. There’s so much going on in her kitchen that I avoid being a disturbance.

There is a clear difference in the way we behave around each other at home and at work. Even though we don’t act like strangers, we make sure we’re not too relaxed or personal around each other in the studio. I don’t call her by her nickname, for example. But we do find moments to check in with each other, or have lunch together in my side of the studio.

MT: I feel quite refreshed when I get to eat lunch in his space. Otherwise, I’m asked a million questions about work in the middle of my meal and it’s hard to really catch a break. That physical divide between our spaces is quite a blessing that way.

On Memorable Moments
MT: I always wanted to host an “office Diwali party” even as a kid, because I remember attending the celebrations in my father’s office for every festival. I’m not religious, but I do love the idea of celebrating together. So Diwali in 2024 was really special for us and my team. We did a short puja, drew rangoli and had a lot of chaat and mithai.

NM: Another very memorable day was the soft launch of my store, a day before we officially opened. Mallika’s kitchen was functioning by then and she helped me set up a huge grazing table. We called all our friends and the tiny record store was filled with 30 to 40 people. It was special.

Apart from a few of these occasions, we have kept it professional. We don’t really see it as a place to spend time outside of work. We are also conscious about having too many gatherings around Mallika’s space because it can be difficult to maintain food safety standards when people are walking through it with uncovered hair and wearing regular footwear.

On Their Dreams And Plans For The Future
MT: We did think about serving dessert in the studio in the beginning, but then we realised that it might become very messy and difficult to manage with vinyl records. We’d have to trust people to be careful about what they touch; before you know it, there might be butter cream on his records. We have decided to revisit that idea if we move into a bigger space because we would rather do that in a proper manner and not be serving inside the record shop.

NM: I feel as if my store is complete now. I’m very happy with the wall decor, the crates are full to the brim with records, and everything looks the way I had intended. I know Mallika has also managed to purchase the best standard of industry-grade equipment that she had sought out to acquire for her operations.

On Life Outside The Studio
MT: We’re pretty much together and see each other every day. Around twice a week, we end up going for a drink after work, or a coffee and a snack in the neighbourhood. In our free time we like to catch an art opening or go watch a movie. Just like any other couple.

NM: Shahpur Jat has recently become a popular  shopping district in South Delhi for a lot of young people. There are a lot of boutique shops and jewellery stores. There are Japanese ramen spots, Neapolitan pizza shops and cafes. It’s becoming cooler by the day.

Reflections
MT: Ideally, I recommend living with each other before working together because a lot of people can’t manage the separation between their personal and professional lives. You should be able to avoid talking about home at work. There needs to be a clear distinction. Other than that, finances should be laid out very clearly, whether it’s sharing rent or dividing the electricity bill, because seemingly trivial things can lead to serious conflict. Being straight and honest with your partner is essential.

Discovering Surprising Facets
NM: You see your partner in a new light. I knew Mallika was hardworking, but I never realised how much effort she puts into handling a team, talking to customers and coordinating deliveries. She looks into packaging, materials, raw ingredients, timing a schedule for the fridge, defrosting things on time, decorating the cakes, ordering supplies. It’s been an eye-opener to witness the work life of a pastry chef and all the tasks she manages in a day.

MT: I have really enjoyed seeing him host customers and share knowledge about his craft. I didn’t realise he had so much to offer. Both of us are shy and we don’t usually talk about ourselves or our work. So I know that Nishant definitely overcomes a mental barrier to be here dealing with up to 10 customers at a time.

NM: I’ve discovered that I can be extroverted when it comes to talking about my skill set — records and music. Luckily for me, people come here to talk about exactly my field of work and expertise. I’m very comfortable with helping people dig for records and discover this culture.

On Challenges
MT: Sometimes, people peek into the kitchen from Nishant’s side of the space. People get very curious when they see a professional kitchen with massive fridges, a team wearing hairnets and making big cakes. So that feels a bit strange at times, but it comes from a harmless place. I’m sure the noise from the kitchen can be challenging for Nishant at times.

NM: I forgot about that. It drives me mad when Mallika’s team is grinding sugar in the mixer grinder. They grind tens of kilos of sugar at a time and it goes on forever. But the way I see it, it could have been much worse. We have it very good here.

At the links below, read how these creative couples are sharing their spaces.

Shreya Josh and Rohan Kale
Ishaan Bharat and Abhishek Desai
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