Anees Salim is rather proud of being a dropout. He joined advertising in the late 1990s, and has been working on a variety of brands for the past fourteen years. He currently heads the creative department of Draft FCB Ulka, Kochi, where he started his career as a trainee copywriter. He loves being invisible, and shares his time between home and office.

'Today I got appointed at the airport. It's a wonderful world and a wonderful job. Thank you.'

Meet Hasina Mansoor, vending machine attendant at the Airport Departure Lounge. From her vantage point, Hasina watches the planes take off outside the glass doors and secretly dreams of being on (even piloting) one of them. While selling forty-rupee tea isn't getting her any closer to that, Hasina keeps her spirits up by making friends (and enemies) among the other airport staff, including the treacherous Cookie Lady, the know-it-all Coupon Man, the beautiful Natasha Singh and her tasbih-wielding boss, Haji Osman.

Home is no less mine-filled, with a twin-sister who demands money constantly, a little brother who doesn't look like he's going to pass his fourth class and parents who are more concerned with the ongoing feud with the upstairs neighbours, Laila auntie's family. Hasina's secret love affair with her cousin, Eza, is a spark of joy in this homestead of constant worry and absurdity, but can she trust him completely?

A darkly humorous, touching story, Tales from a Vending Machine and its heroine will stay with readers long after their flight has landed.