Chamunda Tea Centre

If you walk through Om Market on Laxmi Road, you'll probably smell the tea before you see us. We are at shop number 19 in the Shantikunj Shopping Center. It’s a busy spot, right near Palanpur Jakat Naka, so there is always noise from the street. We’ve got bags of different leaves piled up inside. Some people like the strong stuff for their morning cup, and others want something lighter. I spend most of my day weighing out portions on the old scale and tying up plastic bags with twine. The shop isn't very large, so it gets a bit cramped when three or four people are waiting at the same time. We have a small bench outside where regular customers sit for a few minutes to catch up on the local news. The fan overhead hums quite loudly, but you get used to it after an hour. Sometimes we run out of the popular ginger-scented blend by midday, which frustrates some of the regulars. We get our supplies delivered early in the morning when the market is still quiet. It’s a simple life selling tea. We don't have fancy packaging or colorful labels. It’s just good tea in plain bags for people who live around here. The light in the shopping center is a bit dim in the evenings, but we stay open until the last of the commuters heads home towards Palanpur. It is just our little corner in the market.