Shreenath Tea Center

Down at Dhanmandi Lakhara Chowk, you’ll find Shreenath Tea Center. It’s a busy junction, so there is always something to look at while we work. The shop isn't very large, but we’ve managed to fit a lot of tea into the space we have. We get our supplies in big gunny bags, and the first thing I do in the morning is check the quality of what arrived. The smell of the tea is very strong, especially when the bags are first opened. People come here because they know the location is easy to get to, even if the traffic at the chowk is a mess sometimes. We keep things straightforward. We show the tea, we weigh it, and we take the payment. There’s no need for a lot of talk, though we do chat with the regulars about their families or the local news. The shelves are a bit disorganized sometimes, but I know where everything is. My clothes usually end up smelling like tea by the end of the shift. It’s a noisy spot with all the bikes and carts outside, but you get used to it after a while. We don’t do any advertising; people just see the shop when they are passing through the chowk. We’ve been here long enough that word of mouth is plenty. It’s a simple life, just running the shop day after day and seeing the same faces.