I am, by nature, a creature of routine. Meals at fixed times, work at fixed hours, and bed at a sensible time, like most family men. So when people say “Mumbai never sleeps,” I always nodded politely, as if it were just a saying. On Tuesday, 13th October, I finally saw it for myself.
A New Shop and a Simple Plan
A few weeks ago, I opened Shree Radhe Ayurvedic Store on Mathuradas Road, Kandivali West. A new shop needs one thing above all: people knowing it exists. After thinking it over, I chose a method that has worked for local businesses for years, pamphlets inside the morning newspaper.
The first step was the design. I approached Hitesh Bhai, owner of Colortone, and he and his team guided me through the choices that matter more than you’d think: the layout, the paper quality, the colours. Their patience turned a rough idea into something I was proud to put my shop’s name on.
The second step was distribution. I was introduced to Raju Singh, the man who inserts pamphlets into newspapers across Kandivali. When I asked when I should bring the material, his answer made me laugh: “Come to Lata Bar at 3:30 in the morning.”
3:30 AM? He explained that the newspapers arrive around 3:45 AM, the pamphlets go in right then, and the bundles are off for distribution before the city wakes up. I had no choice but to promise I would be there.
The Morning I Failed
Monday, 12th October, was supposed to be the day. It wasn’t. I had set three alarms, and somehow I slept through all of them. I had already handed over 2,000 pamphlets the evening before, so the work went on without me, but I felt I had let myself down. I wanted to see where my marketing was going and who was handling it.
So on Monday night I set the alarms again, and this time I meant it.
2:30 AM: A City I Had Never Met
On Tuesday I woke at 2:30 AM, freshened up, called Raju Singh, and left. I reached Lata Bar about fifteen minutes early, so I stood and waited.
The place is very close to the station, and I expected some crowd even at that hour. Instead, the road was almost silent. One or two people passed by. What I did notice was a different kind of Mumbai at work: milk distributors loading their vehicles, and newspaper dealers with their vans, all moving with the calm efficiency of people who do this every single day. While most of us sleep, a whole city is quietly preparing our morning.
Thirty Minutes, Two Thousand Pamphlets
Then the newspapers arrived. Raju Singh got to work, and I can only describe what I saw as machine-like. His hands moved with such speed and rhythm that I stood there stunned. I even recorded a video, because I knew no one would believe me otherwise.
All 2,000 pamphlets were inserted in just 30 minutes.
I have spent weeks planning, designing, and thinking about this campaign, and here was a man who turned it into reality faster than I could finish my morning tea. It was a reminder that behind every successful business, there are skilled people whose work we rarely see.
The Reward: Misal Pav at 5 AM
By the time I left, it was around 4:30 to 5:00 AM, and the night had one more surprise for me. Near SV Road, a food stall was serving steaming hot poha, upma, sira, and misal pav. Almost thirty people were standing around it, eating, chatting, and starting their day. It was a scene I never knew existed.
The smell alone was impossible to resist. I ordered a plate of misal pav, and it was wonderful, properly spicy, hot, and satisfying. My stomach, however, did not agree. Spicy food at 5 AM was clearly not part of its routine, and it let me know soon after.
I regret nothing. A little tummy upset was a fair price for the experience.
What I Took Home
I went out that morning to watch my pamphlets go into the newspapers. I came home with something more:
- Hard work is often invisible. The milk sellers, newspaper dealers, and pamphlet inserters make our mornings possible before we open our eyes.
- Seeing beats assuming. I could have trusted the process from my bed, but standing there gave me respect for the people behind it.
- Mumbai really does never sleep. It just changes shape. By day it rushes. At 3 AM it works quietly, and at 5 AM it gathers around a hot plate of misal pav.
Now, as the newspapers reach doorsteps across Kandivali, I hope the name Shree Radhe Ayurvedic Store reaches a few homes too. And if you ever find yourself awake in Mumbai before sunrise, go and see this side of the city for yourself. Just maybe go easy on the spice.
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