Arun Saraff

Working out of Kendwa Bazar in Asansol is always interesting because there is never a dull moment. My name is Arun Saraff and I run my business right near Gate No 6 which is a major landmark for anyone coming into the market area. Being in the Burdwan district means we see a lot of different people coming through for their daily needs. The shop isn't very large so we have to be smart about how we stack things up. It gets really hot in the summer months and the ceiling fan just pushes the warm air around but we stay busy anyway. Most of my customers are people I have known for years so we spend half the time talking about family before we even get to the business part. I keep my ledger on a small wooden desk that has seen better days. The bazar is crowded and the noise from the street vendors and the traffic can be a lot sometimes. We don't use any fancy computer systems for everything, just simple records that I write down myself. It works for us and people know where to find me if they need something. Sometimes the power goes out in the afternoon and we just sit outside on the stools until it comes back on. It’s just the normal way of life here in the bazar and we keep going.