Subway

We’re right here in Mumbai, tucked into a busy spot where people are always rushing by. It’s a small space, but we make it work. Most days start early with the smell of bread baking in the oven. That’s probably the best part of the morning. We spend a lot of time chopping up lettuce, tomatoes, and onions before the lunch rush hits. When twelve o’clock rolls around, the line usually goes out the door. We just keep our heads down and keep making sandwiches as fast as we can. Sometimes we get people who can't decide what they want, and other times they know their order by heart. It’s a mix of everyone. We try to keep the glass clean so you can see all the toppings clearly. The staff is mostly local kids or students working part-time. We don't have much room for sitting, but a few people manage to squeeze in. It gets noisy with the traffic outside and the fridge humming in the back. We’ve had some regulars who have been coming since we first opened. It’s just a sandwich shop, nothing more, nothing less. We worry about things like the fridge temperature or if the soda machine is running out. It’s practical work. When the sun goes down, we start the cleanup process all over again for the next day. Mumbai never really stops, and neither do we, except for a few hours at night. It's a living for us here every day.