Pita ji Ratri dhaba

Our dhaba is right on the Delhi Road Partapur bypass in Meerut. We are located across from Om Sai Dham colony, which makes us pretty easy to find if you are driving toward Delhi or coming into Meerut. Being a "Ratri" dhaba means we do a lot of our work when the sun goes down. The bypass is a busy place at night with all the long-distance trucks. We have a big open area where people can park their vehicles and take a break from the steering wheel. The headlights of the passing cars cut through the dark all night. The setup is very basic. We have some outdoor seating and some under the roof. It’s often quite dusty because of the road construction and the passing traffic, so we are always dusting off the chairs. We serve tea and food throughout the night. The kitchen is simple, with big pots and a hot stove that never really cools down. We don't have a manager in a suit; usually, it’s just one of us sitting at the counter and a couple of boys helping with the orders. Sometimes the stray dogs hang around the edges, and we have to shoo them away. It's not a quiet life, especially with the constant sound of horns and engines, but it’s what we do. We just focus on keeping the food hot and the tea strong for the people who have a long night of driving ahead of them. It keeps us busy until the sun comes up.