Prem Farsan & Sweets

We are right at the Katol Road Chowk, not far from the Gittikhadan Police Station. If you know that area, you know it gets very crowded during the evening rush. Prem Farsan & Sweets has been our life for a long time. The kitchen is right behind the counter, so the heat from the large frying vats keeps us warm even in the winter. We start the day very early, around four in the morning, to get the fresh snacks ready before the breakfast crowd arrives. It smells like oil and sugar all day long here. We don't use any fancy machines; mostly it is just hands making the shapes and tossing the ingredients. My brother handles the sweets while I look after the savory farsan side of things. We have a few glass cases that we try to keep full, but on weekends, they empty out pretty fast. The floor is always a bit slippery from the flour, no matter how much we scrub it. We know most of the people who come in by their first names. They stop by for a chat while they wait for their parcels. Sometimes the police from the station next door come over for a quick snack too. It’s a noisy, busy place with lots of shouting over the traffic noise from the chowk. We just keep our heads down and keep the stoves burning. It’s a simple way to make a living and serve the folks in Gittikhadan.