Cafe Mearaj

Our little shop is No 64 in Asha Manzil, right on L J Road in Mahim. It’s an old building, and you can tell by the way the walls look and how the pipes sometimes rattle. I’ve been working here for years, and the street outside never seems to get any quieter. L J Road is always full of buses and people rushing to the station. We serve mostly tea and some basic food to the people who work around here. It’s a small space, so things get cramped when more than five people are inside. I usually spend my time behind the counter, brewing tea and talking to the regulars who have been coming here since I was younger. The furniture is a bit worn out, and the fans make a bit of noise, but it works for us. We don't have a big fancy sign or anything, just the name on the front. Sometimes we run out of change or the milk delivery is late, and we just have to figure it out as we go. It’s not a polished place, but it’s honest work. We open early when the sun is barely up and close when it’s dark. It's just a part of the Mahim life, being here in Asha Manzil and serving whoever walks through the door. We just try to keep the glass cases clean and the stove going.