Balaji Tea & Coffee Centre

We are right there at 146 Akkipet on Tilak Road. Our little tea and coffee shop has been a part of this street for a long time. In the mornings, we start very early to get the milk and the tea leaves ready for the first wave of people. You can smell the coffee brewing from down the block if the wind is blowing the right way. Akkipet is a very crowded place, especially on Tilak Road where the traffic never seems to stop. We have some benches where people can sit for a few minutes while they drink their tea. It is a simple place with a stove and some big jars of biscuits and snacks. The walls are a bit stained from the steam over the years, but it gives the place some character. We see the same faces every single day, mostly workers from the nearby shops or people heading to the bus stop. We have a lot of regular conversations about the weather or the news. It is a small space so things can get quite tight when there are ten people trying to get a cup at once. We just keep pouring and making sure everyone gets their sugar right. It is not a quiet job, but we like being in the middle of all the action. We don't use any fancy machines, just the old ways that work for everyone around here. It is our daily routine and we just stick to it.