Hotel Deccan Corner

Being at the corner of J M Road in Dongri means we see a lot of traffic. It’s a busy spot, and the dust from the road usually settles on the window sills every few hours. We keep a rag handy just to keep things somewhat tidy. The tables are the old wooden kind, and some of them have scratches from years of plates being slid across them. We start the tea kettle before the sun is even fully up because the bus drivers and the early workers start looking for a cup. The kitchen is small, so the heat stays trapped in there, making the whole place feel warm even when it’s raining outside. We have a regular group of older men who sit in the back corner every morning for an hour, just talking and watching the street. The menu is just a simple board on the wall with the prices written in chalk. Sometimes we run out of certain items by noon, and we just cross them off. It’s not a fancy hotel, despite the name, it’s just a place where you can sit down for a bit. The ceiling fan wobbles a little on its highest setting, creating a constant rhythm. We don't do much in the way of decorating; we just have the calendars from local businesses hanging up. It’s a plain place, but it’s been here at this corner for as long as I can remember, and we just keep doing what we do.