Sai Prasad

This is Sai Prasad over here in Pawananagar Antop Hill. It is a crowded spot, but it is home for us. Every morning, the first thing I do is open up the shutters and get the big pots ready. You can hear the sounds of the neighborhood waking up while the stove starts going. It gets pretty hot in here once we start cooking, and the steam fills up the small space. We don’t have any big signs or anything, just the name on the front. People from around Pawananagar know where we are. My hands always smell like spices or soap from cleaning up. It is mostly just about getting things ready on time because people are hungry and they don't want to wait. Sometimes we run out of stuff earlier than expected and then we have to tell people we're done for the day. The floor stays a bit damp from all the washing we do. It’s not a polished place, just a regular shop where we do our thing. Antop Hill has its own vibe and we’ve been part of it for a long time now. I spend most of my afternoon just sitting on the stool by the counter, watching the traffic go by outside while I wait for the next rush. It’s a simple life and the work keeps us busy enough to not worry about much else. We usually close up when the street lights come on and it finally starts to cool down a little bit.