Rajesh Tea Stall

The kettle starts whistling early here at F-123 on Lado Sarai Main Road. Most days we are just busy getting the milk and sugar ready before the first crowd shows up. Rajesh has been doing this for a long time and the stove hardly ever gets a rest. People walking to work or coming from the nearby shops usually stop for a bit. It is not a big place, just enough room to stand and talk while the traffic goes by outside. Sometimes the dust from the road gets to be a lot, but that is just how it is in this part of town. We have a few benches that have seen better days. The tea is always hot and we don't change how we make it. On rainy days, the shop gets packed because everyone wants to stay dry under the small roof. We see the same people every morning, mostly laborers and office guys. It is noisy because of the horns on the main road, but you get used to it after a week. We don't have fancy menus or anything like that. Just the basics written on the wall. Sometimes we run out of biscuits by noon. Cleaning up the glasses takes up most of the afternoon when things slow down. It is just a normal spot for a quick break and a chat with whoever is standing next to you.