I have always been wary of walking into an Irani Cafe, a woman in such a place would stick out like a sore thumb. And not really a tea drinker myself(thanks to the lactose intolerance), I wondered why I would bother going to one.
I had heard good things about the chai as well as the osmani biscuits at the Nimrah cafe near Charminar, but was warned not to go there alone or as a ladies-only group. I had wrapped up a meeting in the part of town very quickly and had some time on hand. Perhaps it was the right time to check out the most celebrated teatime fare of the city. There was the usual crowd but being the month of Ramazan, I would guess it was on the lesser side.
I took a place outside, and as one is bound to in such a place, began to observe the people, the life, the haste as well as the leisure all right in front of the iconic monument of the city. The waiters seemed to take no notice of my presence and for some reason it did not bother me. I decided to take out my camera to take a few shots and reckoned it was always better to ask for permission to avoid a round of questions or angering anyone around. It seemed like the manager was in a good mood, when I told him that I was keen on documenting things that were essentially Hyderabadi, he insisted I start clicking only after I had my cuppa and some biscuits(on the house). This wasn’t the reception I expected, moreover it also served to mock my initial apprehensions. He looked disappointed when I told him of my allergy and agreed to let me carry on with my work.
Once I was done, I went to say thank you, and he handed me a box of osmani biscuits, “Do visit us again!”
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Hyderabad 