Mithalal Chai

I have been here at shop thirteen in Shiv Market for a long time now. The stove goes on early because the workers on Sumerpur Road need their tea before they start the day. It is hot in Rajasthan, but people still want their hot chai, funny how that works. We go through so many liters of milk every morning. The place isn't big, just a few benches and the counter where I keep the glass tumblers. You can hear the trucks shifting gears outside all day long. Sometimes it gets so dusty I have to wipe the tables every twenty minutes. I don’t have a big menu, just the tea and maybe some biscuits if the delivery came on time. People sit around and talk about the weather or the price of crops. It is a simple life. I know most of the faces that walk in here. If someone is new, they usually look a bit lost until they get their cup. The ginger has to be crushed just right or the taste is off. I don’t use those tea bags, it’s all loose leaf and slow boiled. Sometimes the rain comes and everyone crowds under the small roof, dripping water everywhere while they wait for a hot drink. It is messy but I like the noise of people talking over the sound of the rain. By evening, I am ready to close up and head home, my apron usually covered in tea stains.