Vinyak Tea Company

We are tucked into Shop No. 7 in the middle of Gud Bazar. If you know the area near Jama Masjid in Somwar Peth, you know it stays crowded almost every day of the week. Vinyak Tea Company is just a small slice of that market life. The space is tight, and we have to stack the tea sacks pretty high to make everything fit. It’s noisy outside with all the vendors shouting, but inside it’s just the sound of the scoops hitting the metal bins. I’ve spent years learning the different smells of the leaves we get in. We don’t spend money on fancy signs or advertising. People find us because they’ve been coming to this market for generations. Sometimes the rain leaks a little near the front door, so we have to move the stock back. It’s a lot of physical work, hauling the heavy bags around and making sure nothing gets damp. My hands are usually stained a bit dark from handling the tea all day. We just focus on getting the orders filled and making sure the scale is balanced right. It’s a busy, cramped way to work, but it’s what we know. There’s a rhythm to the bazar that you just get used to after a while.