Nashta Chai At Domistic Airport Mumbai As A Shift Incharge

Working at the airport is always a lot of rushing around and noise. We deal with the tea and snacks, basically what everyone around here calls Nashta. My home base is actually over in Malabar Hill, at a place called Indra Niwas on Dongrsi Road, but the real daily grind happens where the planes are taking off. Being a shift incharge means I have to keep a close eye on the big kettles and make sure the snack trays aren't empty. Passengers are always in such a huge hurry. They want their chai piping hot and they want it fast before their gate closes. It’s loud and busy all the time. We don’t really have time for any fancy talk or long stories. We just serve the tea and move to the next person. It’s a long commute from Walkeshwar all the way to the domestic terminal, but that’s just the routine I’ve gotten used to. The building back in Malabar Hill is where I live on the first floor in room eighteen. Dealing with these shifts means working all sorts of odd hours, sometimes starting very early when it's still dark or staying late into the night. You end up meeting all kinds of different people at the airport. Some are a bit grumpy because they are tired, and others are just happy to be going somewhere. We just make sure there’s enough hot tea for everyone. It is simple work but it keeps us on our feet.