Chapati Wonder

Out here at 39/2 Vithalwadi, the day starts before the sun is even up. Chapati Wonder is basically a kitchen that never really stops. We’re mostly covered in flour by 8 AM. It’s a hot job, standing over the tawas all day. The smell of wheat is everywhere, it sticks to your clothes. We aren't doing anything fancy or trying to be a big brand. It’s just about making sure the dough is right and the chapatis are soft enough. The rollers make a rhythmic sound that becomes background noise after an hour. Sometimes the delivery guys are late because the Vithalwadi lanes are narrow and crowded, which gets frustrating. We have a couple of big sinks for washing up and stacks of steel plates. Our chairs are a bit old and the floor is always a bit white from the dry flour. We talk a lot while we work, mostly about family or the weather. When it rains, the dampness makes the flour act differently, so we have to adjust. It’s hard work on the feet, and by the end of the shift, everyone is tired. We don't have a website or a fancy logo on the wall. It’s just a place where we make food for people. We keep the counters wiped down and the lights on until the last batch is packed. It's a simple life at the shop.