Kabir Corner

Down here at Rabrindranath Tagore Nagar 1, we are just a small corner shop trying to keep up with the neighborhood. It’s not a very big space, so we have to be careful about where we stack the crates and where people stand. The morning light hits the front window just right, but it also shows all the dust, so there is a lot of wiping down to do before we open up. We’ve seen the area change quite a bit over the years, with new buildings going up and old neighbors moving away, but we’re still here in the same spot. Most of our day is spent prepping things in the small kitchen area. It’s a tight squeeze, and we’re often bumping into each other, but we’ve gotten used to it. We don't have any big signs or bright lights. Most people just walk in because they’re passing by on their way to the bus stop or taking their kids to school. Sometimes the electricity goes out for an hour or two, and we just sit on the front step and wait for it to come back. It is a quiet kind of life, mostly. We don’t try to be anything we aren't. We just provide what people need and keep the place running as best as we can without making any fuss about it. We are usually here until late evening when the street lamps finally flicker on.