The appearance of the headlight of vehicles cruising along the highway is eagerly awaited by the tea stall owners at Pipli near Kurukshetra.
The vendors at small tea stalls look forward to the cold weather, when office-goers and highway travellers stop at their shops by the way side for a cup of hot tea.
"Winters are a blessing for us as most of the drivers stop here for a short tea break. A cup of tea helps these drivers to feel refreshed and prevents them from feeling sleepy while driving at night," Kishan, the owner of Kishan tea stall.
Braving the chill in the extended shops covered with tin sheets, these small tea stall owners at Pipli are having a great time with an increased demand for tea by drivers and passengers who stop here for a tea break. With each lorry or tourist bus passing by at the wee hours of the day, there are a few more customers.
These tiny shops are being run under temporary sheds made of tin which shields them from freezing winds. The shopkeepers are wrapped in blankets and burn wood near the shops when they are not serving or washing cups or glasses.
"We don't have any other option to earn our livelihood except to run these tea shops. We only pay for the expenses of one electricity bulb to the permanent shops behind our stalls. We start our shops from 8:00 in the evening when the big shops close down and allow us to conduct our business for small rent. We close at 7:00 in the morning," said Kishan.
{{/usCountry}}"We don't have any other option to earn our livelihood except to run these tea shops. We only pay for the expenses of one electricity bulb to the permanent shops behind our stalls. We start our shops from 8:00 in the evening when the big shops close down and allow us to conduct our business for small rent. We close at 7:00 in the morning," said Kishan.
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