Omkar Tea Time

I work at Omkar Tea Time in Hadapsar 66. Most of my day is spent over the stove, watching the tea bubble in the large pot. The shop is quite small, and the walls have turned a bit darker over time from all the steam and smoke. Hadapsar 66 is a bustling area, and there is always a crowd of people standing around the front of the shop. I start early in the morning, long before the first commuters appear. I have to get the milk delivered and set up the glasses on the racks. The sound of the glasses clinking together is the soundtrack to my morning. We have some jars of snacks on the counter, but the tea is why everyone comes here. I spend hours pouring tea into small glasses and handing them out to the people waiting. My hands are usually stained with tea by the end of the shift. There isn't much room to move around in Omkar Tea Time, so I have to be organized about where I put the sugar and the tea leaves. People stand outside in the street to drink and talk with their friends. I like hearing the bits of conversation that drift in from the sidewalk in Hadapsar 66. It's a lot of talk about work and family. I don't say much myself, just keep the tea coming until it's time to close. When it gets dark, I start washing up all the equipment. It's a tiring job, but it’s what I know and I’ve been doing it for years.