Baskin Robbins

Our shop is in New Rajinder Nagar, tucked away among the residential blocks and other stores. It is a Baskin Robbins, so it looks like the others, but we run it like a local neighborhood spot. The freezer hums all day long, which is a sound I’ve grown used to. We spend a lot of time wiping down the glass counters because kids are always putting their hands on them to see the different tubs. It’s a bright place, maybe a bit too bright in the evening, but it helps people see the names of the flavors. We get a lot of families coming in after dinner for a scoop or two. I spend my shift scooping out ice cream and making sure the cones don't break. The floor is tiled and we have to be careful about drips because it gets sticky fast. It isn't a complicated business, just keeping things cold and serving people. Sometimes someone asks for a flavor we don't have in stock, and we just have to tell them to pick something else. In the afternoons, it’s usually quiet, so I sit on the stool and watch the cars go by outside. The New Rajinder Nagar crowd is mostly regulars who live in the flats nearby. They come in for a quick cup and talk for a bit before heading home. It’s a decent job, even if my arm gets tired from the scooping when it's a holiday or a weekend.