Bittu Pepsi

Shahapur is a good area to be in, especially being so close to Gotheghar and the Panch Batti landmark. Everyone knows those five lamps. Our place for Bittu Pepsi in Thane District is basically a big garage with a small office tucked into the far corner. It gets very humid here during the monsoon, so the walls have some damp patches that we try to paint over every couple of years. We start early, around 5:30 in the morning, to beat the worst of the Thane traffic. The trucks come in through the narrow streets and it is always a bit of a squeeze to get them parked right near the door. We have a couple of guys who have been with us for years now, and they know where everything is even in the dark. We handle a lot of heavy crates every day and my back usually feels it by the evening. The local tea seller knows our order by heart and brings it over around ten. We do not have a fancy computer system, just a big notebook where we write down what goes out and what comes in. It is a bit old-fashioned but it works for us. Panch Batti is always busy with people, so there is always something interesting to look at when we take a break. Sometimes the rains are so heavy we cannot see the road, so we just sit inside and wait. It is hard work but it is our life.