The shutters rise every night at 11:11
Every night at exactly 11:11, when most of Calcutta is asleep, the shutters of Nimtala Tea House rise. Run by seventy-seven-year-old Baba, along with his trusted canine companion, Bagha, the tiny tea shop stays open until dawn, offering tea, conversation and a little refuge to those who work and wander through the night.
Among its regulars are Priya, a young nurse carrying the weight of grief; Ahmed, a rickshaw puller who secretly writes poetry; Dilip Singh, a former army man whose strict routines conceal memories of conflict; and Mei Lin, a Chinese-Bengali nightclub worker contemplating a new life in Singapore. Drawn together by their nightly rituals, they gradually become an unlikely family, sharing stories and the burdens they rarely unload anywhere else.
But the neighbourhood is changing. Property deals and plans for a major new development threaten the old buildings, businesses and communities that have given this corner of Calcutta its charm and character. As the future of Nimtala becomes increasingly uncertain, Baba and the regulars must reckon with ques¬tions of loss, belonging, change, and what it means to call a place home.
Tender, atmospheric, and intimately human, Nights at Nimtala Tea House is a celebration of friendship and community, and the healing power of conversations that begin over a single cup of tea.
