Ashok Kumar Achar Murabba Wale

We’re located right near the railway crossing in Raja Mandi. If you’re from around here, you’ve probably walked past us a hundred times. We do achars and murabba, which is what the family has been doing for a long time. The shop isn’t very big, and it usually smells like vinegar and spices, which I suppose is a good thing for a pickle shop. Ashok Kumar is the name on the board, but we’re all just here working together. When the trains go by, the whole place shakes a little bit, but we don’t even notice it anymore. We keep the jars stacked up on the shelves, and there’s usually a bit of a mess on the counter from weighing things out. It’s not a supermarket; it’s just a local shop where people come when they need something for their meal. We spend our days prepping the fruit and vegetables and letting them sit in the jars. There’s no secret magic to it, just time and the right amount of salt and oil. Sometimes the weather makes things difficult, especially when it’s too humid, but we manage. We don’t have any fancy marketing or advertisements. People just know we’re by the tracks and they stop by when they’re passing through Raja Mandi. It’s a simple life, and we like being part of the neighborhood here. We focus on the pickles and the people who come to buy them.