Srikant Canteen & Pan Shop

Over on Wanawadi Handewadi Road 29, I run Srikant Canteen & Pan Shop. It’s a bit of a double job because I handle the snacks and tea as well as the pan stall. I wake up before the sun to get the stove going and start boiling the water for the first batch of tea. People coming off the night shifts or starting early at the construction sites are usually my first customers. The canteen part is just a few tables and some benches that have seen better days. The paint is peeling on the legs, but they still hold up fine. After the breakfast rush is over, I shift my focus to the pan side of things. I like the variety of the work. One minute I’m frying up some pakoras and the next I’m carefully folding a sweet pan for someone’s dessert. Handewadi Road is always busy, so there’s a lot of noise from the horns and the people shouting. It’s a noisy life but I like it better than sitting in a quiet office. My hands are always busy with something, whether it’s washing cups or sorting through the betel leaves. The shop is my second home, and I probably spend more time here than I do at my actual house. It’s a simple place for regular people to get a quick bite or a smoke and move on with their day. We don't do anything fancy, just the basics.