Akashdeep Khadiwala

You can find us at number 18 Abhishek 3, which is quite close to the City Centre and right across from the Haripura bus stand. Being near the Asarva Bridge means we get a lot of people just passing through on their way somewhere else. We deal in khadi, so the shop is full of rolls of cotton and finished garments. It’s a very specific kind of smell, very earthy and clean. We started Akashdeep Khadiwala because we liked the feel of the fabric. The location is a bit of a mix, being outside the Panchkuva Gate on Civil Road. It’s always dusty because of the buses, so we are constantly wiping down the counters. We have some benches for people to sit on while they look at different shades of cloth. The windows are large but they get dirty quickly. We don't have any big advertisements, just a simple board outside that says what we do. My brother helps me manage the stock, and we usually have a radio playing some old songs in the background. It gets very busy during the festival seasons, and we struggle to keep the shelves full. Most of our customers are locals who have been coming to us for years. We try to be helpful, even if we are sometimes a bit slow when the shop gets crowded. It’s just a regular shop trying to keep the khadi tradition going in this corner of the city.