Agatya Tea

The shop is located in Thirupparaithurai, which is part of the Srirangam area. It is a bit of a quiet spot compared to the big temple areas further in. I start the work very early when the air is still cool and the birds are starting to make noise in the trees nearby. We have a small kitchen area where I boil the milk and the water with some tea leaves. Most of the people who stop here are locals going to the fields or visitors who are passing through to see the river. The walls are painted white but they have some stains near the stove from all the steam. I don't have a lot of fancy furniture, just a few wooden benches that are a bit wobbly on the uneven ground. I spend a lot of time watching the road and waiting for the milkman to arrive on his cycle. The smell of the tea is nice in the mornings when everything else is still. I usually keep a small transistor radio on the shelf to listen to the news or some old songs. There isn't much shade outside so people try to crowd under the small porch we have when the sun gets too high. I just keep busy with the cleaning and the pouring. It’s a slow life here and I like it that way most of the time. We just serve tea to whoever passes by.