Kakada Ramprasad Sweets

People know us here on Mint Street. We’ve been at this spot for a long time, even when the numbers changed from 343 to 348. Sowcarpet is always moving, always loud, and we are right in the middle of it near the Jain Temple. Every morning starts the same way. We get the milk and sugar ready, and the heat from the stoves starts filling up the front. It’s not a quiet place to work. You have the traffic outside and people shouting orders for different sweets. We don't have a fancy office or anything like that. I mostly stand near the counter or help in the back when things get busy. It gets dusty on the street, so we spend a lot of time cleaning the glass cases. Sometimes it feels like the whole of Chennai passes through this lane. We see the same faces every week, people coming in for their usual snacks after visiting the temple nearby. It’s just how things are here in this part of town. We don't really do much advertising because the smell of the food usually brings people in anyway. It’s a lot of manual work, lifting heavy trays and making sure the syrup is just right. Some days are longer than others, especially during the festivals when everyone wants something sweet for their home. We just keep our heads down and keep the trays full for whoever walks through the door. It gets tiring but we stay busy.