Nehal Travels & Exchange

Sadashiv Peth 14 is where you will find us, tucked away in one of those narrow lanes that Pune is famous for. The building is old and the stairs are a bit steep if you are carrying heavy bags. Inside the office, the air smells a bit like old paper and ink. We handle a lot of different things here, from booking tickets to sorting out foreign currency for people going abroad. The exchange part of the work means we are always looking at those little numbers on the screen that change every hour. It can get stressful when the internet goes slow right when someone is waiting. There is a small window that looks out onto the street, and I often watch the vegetable sellers go by. The neighborhood is very traditional, so everything shuts down for a couple of hours in the afternoon. We usually use that time to catch up on paperwork or just sit quietly with a glass of water. Our desks are old wooden ones that have seen a lot of use over the years. There are drawers that stick and chairs that creak when you sit down. We don't have any bright lights or modern decor. It is just a practical space where we handle people's travel plans. Most of our regulars live just a few houses away. They come in to chat as much as they do to buy a ticket. It feels more like a community spot than a corporate office.