Hukam Chand Yash Pal

Being right across from the Mahavir Mandir Trust means we start our day with the sound of the temple bells. It is a good way to wake up, even if the traffic in Chaura Bazar is already starting to pick up. We are located in Gur Mandi, which is always a hive of activity with people moving bags and haggling over prices. The name Hukam Chand Yash Pal is on the board out front, a bit faded now but still clear enough. Our shop is old, with the kind of thick walls that stay cool even when the Punjab sun is beating down on the street. We do not have much room for fancy furniture, just the counters and the storage area in the back. Near Chaura Bazar, you get used to the constant movement of people. Sometimes it is hard to even hear yourself think when the market is in full swing. We spend a lot of time just keeping track of the inventory and making sure the orders are ready for the rickshaws to take away. It is a lot of manual work, and our hands are rarely clean by the end of the shift. We have known the neighbors for decades, and we all look out for each other when things get too busy. It is a community as much as it is a place of business. We just do our part and go home tired every night when the market slows down.