Diamond Masala

The shop is out on Ode Village Road, right near the Pirana Gate. If you reach Kamod Chokdi, you’re basically there. It’s a busy spot in Daskroi where things are always moving. Inside, you can always smell the spices being ground up. It’s a strong scent that sticks to your clothes by the end of the day. We spend most of our time dealing with bags of whole spices and getting them ready. There are sacks piled up in the corners and the machines make a steady humming sound all morning. It’s not a quiet place, but it’s a good kind of busy. My cousin helps out with the grinding while I mostly handle the people who come in to buy. We get a lot of locals who have been coming to us for years. They know the spot near the gate. Sometimes the dust from the chilies makes us sneeze, but you get used to it after a week or two. The floor needs sweeping every hour because there’s always something spilling. It’s a simple setup we’ve got here in the village area. We don't bother with fancy labels or big ads. We just make sure the powders are ground right and the bags are filled. When the sun goes down, we lock up and head home like everyone else on this road. It's honest work and it keeps us occupied.