Banke Bihari Pan Bhandaar

Banke Bihari Pan Bhandaar is a small setup at the Bijolion Malipura Chauraha. If you know the intersection, you’ve probably seen us standing there. It’s a dusty spot because of all the trucks and buses passing through the chauraha all day long. We spend most of our time sitting behind the little counter, folding betel leaves and mixing the lime and catechu. It’s a lot of repetitive motion, but you get fast at it after doing it thousands of times. We also keep some basic things like cigarettes, matches, and those small packets of mouth fresheners that people like. The sun hits the front of the shop pretty hard in the afternoons, so we have a small cloth tied up to give some shade. It’s a place where people pull over their bikes for five minutes to get a pan and hear the local gossip. I’ve lived around here my whole life, so I know who is moving in and who is moving out. The shop isn't much to look at, just wood and some tin sheets, but it does the job. At night, we have a single bulb that hangs from a wire. We stay open until the traffic dies down. It’s a quiet way to make a living, just watching the world go by from this corner. Sometimes the wind blows the dust right into my face, but that is just part of being out here.