Sureshwar Paratha House

You have to head up to the first floor to find us here on Station Road. We’re right across from the Town Hall in Gondal, which is a big old building everyone knows. Being on the first floor gives us a bit of a view of the street, but it also means we have to carry all our sacks of flour and vegetables up the stairs every morning. It's a workout before the cooking even starts. The shop isn't very big, so it gets cramped when the train station nearby lets out and people start walking up this way. We spend most of our day standing by the large flat pans, flipping parathas. It’s a lot of repetitive movement, but we’re used to it by now. The air gets thick with the smell of oil and spices, which usually drifts down to the street. We’ve got some old wooden benches for people to sit on while they wait. The walls could probably use a fresh coat of paint, but we haven't had the time to close down for that. Our family has been working in this space for a long time, and we know most of the shopkeepers on this stretch of Station Road. It’s a loud, lively area of Rajkot, and we’re just one small part of it, trying to get the orders out on time. We just focus on the food and the people who come in. There is no air conditioning here, just the natural breeze and the ceiling fans.